KEAAU — Playing with concerned and properly inspired hearts under a full moon, the Hawaii Hilo women’s soccer team played with a level of confidence and ambition they hadn’t known for most of the season, but they drew energy before the match started.
KEAAU — Playing with concerned and properly inspired hearts under a full moon, the Hawaii Hilo women’s soccer team played with a level of confidence and ambition they hadn’t known for most of the season, but they drew energy before the match started.
At the end, a draw was all they had, but it was an enthused, encouraging 1-1 tie that left the Vulcans 0-4-4 in the Pacific West Conference while Concordia left with a 4-0-3 record.
It began after a brief ceremony honoring Lindsey Poulsen, the former Vulcans’ standout (2010-2014), currently battling Stage 3 ovarian cancer. A proclamation was read announcing Oct. 15 as Lindsey Poulsen Day in the County of Hawaii. Her father Tom recalled taking her to schools on Oahu as possible locations to start her college career and then he said they decided to check out UHH since they were here.
After meeting coaches and seeing the school, Tom said, “She looked at me and said, ‘Dad, this is it, this is where I want to be.’ She knew it was her home as soon as she got here.”
Poulsen spent most of the game on the sidelines with her team and they responded with a full effort against a top four team in the Pacific West Conference.
Three draws earlier in the season let UHH know it was close but it hadn’t broken into the win column and that will have to wait for another day.
In the 99th minute — the last minute of the first overtime — the Vulcans nearly broke through when Danika Steele collected a cross in the penalty box and ripped a shot over the goalie but off the crossbar.
Concordia got a gift opportunity two minutes into the match when the ball popped out of a scrum and fell to sophomore Taylor Thursmond who had UH goalie Jenna Hufford in a no win situation with no Vulcan defenders between her and Thurmond, about 30 yards out. Hufford took a step forward and Thurmond looped it to the far side for a 1-0 lead.
Minutes after the ceremony for Poulsen, the goal seemed to deliver a wakeup call to the Vulcans who began taking the battle forward, controlling the ball for most of the half, asking questions of the Eagles defense.
The UH midfield also came to life as several Concordia possessions were closed down before they could get to the Vulcans’ back line, but the Eagles were able to hold the lead until the 74th minute. A fully extended dive by Huffed to her right glanced a shot out of trouble and a minute later, following a throw in from deep in the Concordia end, senior Abcde Zoller nudged a pass to Annabel Gonzalez and the junior midfielder from Burbank, California punched past Jazmin Alvarez to even the score.
EAGLES 5, VULCANS 1: The UH men (0-7-1 PWC, 1-10-1), continued their free fall through the PWC standings, landing with a thud in last place after being outclassed and outplayed from start to finish.
The Vulcans last scored two weeks ago in a 4-4 draw against Hawaii Pacific on a goal by Jake Sagami in the 80th minute, meaning they started the Concordia (5-2-0, 6-4-2), match having gone 281 scoreless minutes. That number swelled to 352 minutes until Sagami connected on a free kick from just outside the penalty area in the 71st minute. It was his third goal of the season.
But this was a mismatch, Concordia played with a pace that far surpassed anything the UHH could contend with. The Eagles front line continually poured through the UHH midfield and ran down defenders like runaway mules in a cornfield.
Cassidy Dixon opened in goal for Hawaii Hilo, his first start since the 3-0 defeat to California Baptist a week ago. He continued the ineffective play in net for the Vulcans, but it was hardly all his fault as the Eagles ran past UH defenders all over the field. Joshua Jasper played the second half and allowed one gaol on only two shots after the Eagles fired a dozen at Dixon in the first half.
Eric Torres got Concordia on the board first in the 13th minute when Hilo couldn’t clear the ball after a corner kick. Isaac Gettis scored in the 22nd minute, surrounded by UH defenders who couldn’t get in position. Ether Bustos and Connor Gordon each scored for a 4-0 halftime lead and Gordon got his second early in the second half on a penalty kick.
The Vulcans came into the game ranked 190th of 212 Division II teams in goals scored and they were 186th in goals against average.
Those numbers won’t likely improve when the statistics come out after weekend matches.