Vincent Muscarella scored two goals, and Ian Watanabe added a score as the University of Hawaii at Hilo snapped a 21-match winless streak with a 3-1 victory over Point Loma University on Monday.
The Pacific West Conference men’s soccer match was played in San Diego, Calif.
The Vulcans improved to 1-7-1 overall and 1-6-1 in the PacWest. Point Loma fell to 2-8 and 1-7.
“It was a fantastic team effort by everybody today to get the win,” a thrilled Vulcans head coach Ziggy Korytoski said. “We were limited to 13 guys for various reasons, and the group stepped up despite the adversity. I’m very proud of the guys. They rallied together as a team and came through.
“I think today’s win sends a message to everybody on the team that if we can do everything the right way and play as a team, we can be successful.”
Point Loma got a goal from Daniel Ten Bosch in the 8th minute and carried a 1-0 lead into the intermission.
Muscarella, a 5-foot-8, 160-pound junior midfielder from Camarillo, Calif., broke free in the 56th minute and got an assist from freshman James Yamane to score and tie the match at 1-1.
“That was great transition by our guys and a fantastic goal by Vinny,” Korytoski said.
UH-Hilo then took the lead in the 61st minute when junior Aaron Sanchez had a free kick from 50 yards out, and Muscarella fought off two defenders to score on a header.
In the 84th minute, Korytoski replaced Muscarella with Watanabe, a junior out of Waiakea, and he scored the Vulcans’ third goal on a header. The goal followed a Phillip Sakaba corner kick and half volley from a teammate that went back to Watanabe, who used his head to put the ball in the net.
The Vulcans outshot the hosts 13-11, including 8-4 in the second half.
UH-Hilo goalie Luis Romero went the distance, allowing the one Point Loma goal and recording four saves. Point Loma goalie Carter Phillips also played 90 minutes in the net and gave up all three UH-Hilo goals to go along with three saves.
The Vulcans play five of their last six matches at home. They first play at Brigham Young University-Hawaii on Oct. 17 in Laie before playing their last five games in Hilo, starting with Chaminade on Oct. 20.
“We’re really looking forward to those final six matches,” Korytoski said. “We want to remain committed to what we’re trying to do as a team, on and off the field, and build a successful program. We hope the community will come out and support us in those final home games and see that some good things are happening.”
The first-year UH-Hilo head coach called the just-completed PacWest road swing to the West Coast “a good trip.” Besides playing matches, the Vulcans also got to watch the Los Angeles Galaxy play a match.
Women’s soccer
c Point Loma 4, UH-Hilo 0: Kelly Christerson scored two goals, and Tara Kracy and Kaycie Hanlan one apiece to lift the hosts over the Vulcans.
Point Loma improved to 8-2-1 overall and 6-1-1 in the PacWest. UH-Hilo fell to 3-8 and 1-7, respectively.
Point Loma got goals from Christerson and Hanlan in the first half, then from Christerson and Kracy after the intermission.
The hosts outshot UH-Hilo 13-4. Kracy and Lupe Herrara combined in goal for the Point Loma shutout. Vulcan goalie Breegan Saller went the full 90 minutes, allowing four goals to go along with one save.
Women’s golf team in second
The University of Hawaii at Hilo rode the strong play of sophomore Kacie Harada and was in second place after the first round of the Western Washington Golf Invitational on Monday in Bellingham, Wash.
Harada carded an even-par 73 at the Bellingham Golf and Country Club and was in second place heading into today’s second round. She had a 39 on the front nine and closed with an impressive 34 on the back nine.
Grand Canyon’s Kelcey Tate was the individual leader, after shooting a 1-under 72.
British Columbia leads in team scoring with a 307 total, followed by UH-Hilo (309), Grand Canyon and Tarleton State (310), Chico State (322), Victoria-BC (326), Cal State East Bay (327), Western Washington (332), Point Loma Nazarene (336), Montana State-Billings (343), St. Martin’s (345), Simon Fraser (369) and Northwest Nazarene (386).
Rounding out the Vulcans’ first round scores were Erika Morihiro (77, tie-8th), Nyssa Aoki (78, T-11th), Kristen Sawada (81, T-21st) and Shannon Abarra (83, T-32nd).
The 13-team tournament wraps up today.
