KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The UH-Hilo Women’s Soccer team moved up two spots in the first United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Poll of the 2023 season, which was released Tuesday morning.
The Vulcans were previously ranked No. 14 in the preseason poll released Aug. 1 — which was the same rankings as the final poll for the 2022 season.
UH-Hilo is coming off a 2-1 victory over previous No. 22-ranked Colorado Colorado Springs, who dropped out of the top 25.
The 2022 National Champion Western Washington came in at the top spot but fell to Pacific West Conference mate Concordia University Irvine, 4-0, Monday afternoon.
Arakawa named POTW
The 2023 PacWest Preseason Player of the Year lived up to the hype in UH-Hilo’s season opener, a 2-1 win over No. 22 ranked UC Colorado Springs.
Teani Arakawa scored both goals for the Vulcans, including the first goal of the match 17 minutes in, and the match winner early in the second half.
The Maui native, dating back to last season, has now tallied 20 points in her last eight matches.
That doesn’t count the four goals that she scored in an exhibition match earlier this season.
The South Dakota State transfer was a Second Team All-PacWest and Second Team All-West Region pick in 2022.
Vulcans win on Sunday
The Vulcans opened their season with a big win in a top-25 showdown as Teani Arakawa blasted two goals to power the Vulcans past No. 22 Colorado – Colorado Springs, 2-1, Sunday afternoon at the Vulcan Soccer Field.
Arakawa got the Vulcans on the scoreboard in the 17th minute. After twirling through a defender on the left side to send them tumbling, Arakawa sized up another UCCS defender before launching and hitting the top-left corner from about 22 yards out.
“Nobody was stepping to me, so I found an open shot and took it. I didn’t expect it to go in, but I just ripped it,” Arakawa said in a UH-Hilo press release.
Later in the early stages of the second half, Filippa Graneld sent a deep long ball down the field to a two-on-one race with Arakawa in possession as she flicked it in from near the top of the penalty box to give the Vulcans a 2-0 lead.
Arakawa came on strong as an offensive weapon in the latter parts of 2022, and now through the last eight games dating back to last season, the Maui-native has accumulated 20 points with eight goals. She also unofficially had four scores in an exhibition match a few weeks ago.
“My goal was to come back here and pretty much get better than I was last year — be better and score more,” Arakawa said.
Shortly after UH-Hilo extended its lead, the Mountain Lions came right back to stay within striking distance. Ciara Garcia found the back of the net on an assist from Anna Vince in the 48th minute.
As time ticked down, UCCS picked up the aggression and threatened to tie late in the game, but the Vulcans held strong to close out the victory to start the season at 1-0-0.
Phoebe Barnes made the start in goal for the Vulcans, totaling three saves for the win. Isabella Whitmore made five saves for the Mountain Lions.
Other UH-Hilo starters included: Nanea Wall, Alyssa Padron, Alia Bournay, Kierstyn Yamamoto, Jazlynn Ellis, Jacelyn Cambra, Miya Clarke and Myah Patterson.
The win marks eighth-year head coach Gene Okamura’s (‘10) second career win over a top-25 ranked opponent.
The Mountain Lions — much like the Vulcans — were voted to finish as the No. 2 team in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
UCCS moved to a 0-1-1 record.