For the second time this season, soccer fans in Hawai’i will have the opportunity to watch the very best of NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer with a top-25 showdown set for Monday, Oct. 30 between visiting eighth-ranked Concordia University Irvine (5-0-1 conference record) and 10th-ranked UH-Hilo (6-1-0).
The matchup will be the second contest of the weekday doubleheader at the Vulcan Soccer Field as the UH-Hilo Men’s Soccer team is set for a 12:30 p.m. kick-off against the Golden Eagles. The women’s match will follow at a scheduled time of 3 p.m.
The two top-10 teams will face off in Hilo for the second time over the last calendar year after CUI ended UH-Hilo’s 2022 season in the NCAA West Regional Second Round last November.
CUI defeated CSU Los Angeles on the Vulcan Soccer Field in the NCAA West Region First Round before managing to edge the Vulcans – ultimately falling in the NCAA West Regional Championship to eventual National Champion Western Washington. The Golden Eagles and Vulcans played to a 1-1 tie through regulation as Riley Walkington provided the go-ahead game-winner at the 96th-minute mark during the second overtime period.
The Vulcans currently sit atop the Pacific West Conference standings with 18 points but CUI (16 points) remains as the lone unbeaten team in league play. Monday’s winner will position itself in the driver’s seat of laying claim to the 2023 PacWest Conference Championship – a title the Vulcans won the last two consecutive seasons.
“It’s a game with a lot of implications,” Vulcans eighth-year head coach Gene Okamura said. “The winner most likely solidifies their spot into the NCAA Tournament. But we still have two more following games against tough competition so we have to take it one at a time.”
UH-Hilo will later have its final home match of the regular season Saturday, Nov. 4 against Azusa Pacific before closing on the road with an island hop over to O’ahu against Chaminade on Nov. 12.
The first top-25 matchup of the season featured then-No. 22 Colorado – Colorado Springs and then-No. 14 UH-Hilo in a 2-1 Vulcans winning effort on Sept. 3. The first 150 fans for each of Monday’s men’s and women’s soccer matches will receive a pair of Vulcans thundersticks.
No. 10 UH-Hilo
Record: 6-1-0 PacWest / 10-1-1 Overall
Offense: 3.143 Goals/Game (No. 1); 10.00 Shots on Goal/Game (No. 1)
Defense: .571 Goals Against/Game (No. 2); .810 Save Percentage (No. 2); 5 Shutouts (No. 1)
Misc: 5.43 Corners/Game (No. 2); 1.86 Offisde/Game (No. 6); 7.00 Fouls/Game (No. 2)
Scorers: #3 Megan Donovan (18 PTS – 8 G); #26 Teani Arakawa (14 PTS – 5 G), #14 Jazlynn Ellis (11 PTS – 5 G)
No. 8 Concordia University Irvine Golden Eagles
Record: 5-0-1 PacWest / 10-1-1 Overall
Offense: 2.33 Goals/G (No. 3); 9.67 Shots on Goal/Game (No. 2)
Defense: .333 Goals Against/Game (No. 1); .864 Save Percentage (No. 1); 4 Shutouts (No. 2)
Misc: 5.50 Corners/Game (No. 1); 3.50 Offside/Game (No. 11); 12.00 Fouls/Game (No. 10)
Scorers: #10 Olivia Ocampo (8 PTS – 3 G); #18 Antonella Russo (5 PTS – 2 G); #7 Riley Walkington (5 PTS – 2 G)
First eight in
In the first teaser of the official NCAA Division II Regional Rankings, both UH-Hilo and CUI were listed among those announced Wednesday as the first eight teams in contention out of the West Region. Point Loma joined as the only other team from the Pacific West Conference.
Two more iterations will be released before the final announcement of the six postseason-bound squads at the NCAA Selection Show on Nov. 13.
For the West, the winners from each of the PacWest Conference, California Collegiate Athletic Association and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference will automatically qualify. The remaining three teams will be granted according to the regional ranks. The top two teams will also have first-choice on hosting rights for the NCAA West Regional First and Second Rounds.
Top 10
After a loss to Point Loma last Saturday, the Vulcans slid five spots to No. 10 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25 Poll released on Tuesday.
It was the first regular-season loss after 35 consecutive victories dating back to Oct. 3, 2021.
CUI moved to the top of the West Region rankings, swapping the Vulcans to the second slot.
UH-Hilo started the season at No. 14 and reached the program’s highest ranking for two weeks at No. 5.