NAMPA, Idaho – To be a really good goal scorer at the collegiate level you have to be able to use both feet.

Northwest Nazarene senior Maddy Parton showed why Thursday, booting in the game-winner in the 84th minute with her left foot in a 2-1 victory against Hawai'i at Hilo.

"I'm more right-footed than left-footed," she said, "but I can score with my left. It's definitely something I've been working on since high school. On the goal, I pulled it out wide and I saw the right side open and I it to the right post."

While Parton has been working on her ability to use both feet, it's not something everyone can do equally well. It's what separates the great scorers from the average.

Rikki Myers, who scored the team's first goal on an assist from Parton, can also shoot with both feet.

"At the college level a lot of girls should be striving to use both feet," she said, "but that is not always the case. We are really proud of Maddy being able to finish with her left foot under pressure like that."

That kind of finishing ability isn't surprising for Parton, who is top five in career points for Peninsula Junior College and scored five goals a season ago with the Nighthawks.

"She is just so strong that she is able to hit a ball with her left even if she isn't naturally left," NNU coach Mary Trigg said. "She is just an athlete."

Parton's goal capped a strong response from the Nighthawks (2-1 overall) after the Vulcans tied the game in the 67th minute.

Hilo had dominated possession most of the second half and the goal was deserved on its part, as Christy Jensen scored off a rebound to tie the game.

"The second half they came out in a different formation and we took too long to adjust and they punished us for it," Trigg said. "We responded, though. I think we made it a harder game than we needed it to be. We knew it was going to be a fight; I'm just glad the girls stepped up the way they did."

The Nighthawks had plenty of chances to blow the game open, but hit the post twice and the crossbar once and had two close chances squirt wide.

All those opportunities, though, show good offensive signs for the future.

"I think we are really strong up top," Myers said of the offense. "We are dynamic in a lot of different ways. We have people who can receive it at their feet and who can receive a through ball with speed.

"We have plenty of people off the bench who can come in and we have good starters."

That showed in Thursday's stats as NNU out-shot Hilo 20-13. Alexis Montoya made six saves in goals to earn her second win.

"Any result right now is a good result," Trigg said. "All of these teams are good. I just love the way we responded. That's what we are taking from this game."

NNU plays Cal State East Bay (1-2-0) at 5 p.m. Saturday, while Hilo (0-2-1) faces Central Washington (2-1-0) at 2:30 p.m. Central defeated East Bay 1-0 earlier Thursday.