All other factors aside, such as home or away, level of competition, good or bad weather, one statistic jumped out at you in a difficult season for the Hawaii-Hilo men’s soccer team.
Heading into Saturday’s Pacific West Conference match against Dominican — a battle that separated two of the bottom three teams in the conference — the Vulcans had managed three first-half goals all season against 18 by the opposition. Enough of a minus-15 deficit like that over an extended period of time can break a team into little pieces.
Enough was finally enough for the Vulcans (2-5 in conference, 3-9 over all), who rode two first-half goals to a 3-0 win over the Penguins (1-6, 1-11), that provided them with their first win streak of the season and their second consecutive clean sheet following last Thursday’s 1-0 double overtime win against BYU-Hawaii.
It also gave UHH soccer director Lance Thompson his second opportunity this season for a double-wide smile that goes with both men’s and women’s teams winning conference games on the same day.
“It’s a great day for us,” Thompson said. “When you put together back-to-back shutouts and you’re freshmen seem to keep improving, it’s a pretty good feeling, to be honest with you.”
The change of direction started following a 3-0 loss at Dixie State last week.
“Let’s call it a heart-to-heart,” Thompson said, “we had to sort some things out.”
“It was a deep discussion,” said senior captain Adam Colton, a midfielder who protects back and directs up front. “(Thompson) made a great tactical change in the 4-4-4 with more of a diamond design to it that allows me some more freedom.”
Evan Bacani, a sophomore forward, recorded his first goal of the season in the 39th minute after freshman Trenton Hooper opened the opportunity with a strong and long run down the right side and crossed it in front to Bacani who made no mistake at the doorstep of the goal.
Four minutes later, another freshman, Omar Machado, got his first of the season on a well-placed ball, again from the right side, by Hooper.
Dominican struggled with possession in the second half and just before the end, the Vulcans added one more to match their highest scoring output of the season (a 3-0 non-conference win over Chaminade), when senior Cristian Ruelas secured a rebound, punched it to Alejandro Patino and the senior tapped it in from a couple yards in front of the goal.
Patino thus became the Vulcans’ leading goal scorer with his second of the season six teammates have one goal.
It was a good day for freshmen, which had to brighten the outlook for the future on an otherwise overcast, gray day.
“I struggled some here at first with the field and the rain and humidity,” said Hooper, “but once I got used to it, I love it. It feels like home to me and this field, I think now, is a great place for a home field advantage.”
They have one more chance to exploit that advantage Thursday at 3 p.m. when they host Holy Names.
