OAKLAND, Calif.—Opportunity turned into heartbreak on the final day of the 2016 season for the University of Hawai`i Hilo men's soccer team during a 3-3 tie with Holy Names on Saturday morning.
The Vulcans, who led 2-1 at halftime of the match played at Merritt College in Oakland, saw the Hawks score two second half goals to take the lead. UHH answered before the end of regulation, but couldn't find one more goal in their 2016 arsenal. Thus, Hawai`i Hilo ends the year at 1-14-2 overall and 0-11-2 in the Pacific West Conference. Holy Names wraps up their season at 2-13-3 on the year and 2-9-2 in conference play.
The match was a picture-in-a-picture of the whole season for the Vulcans. So often close, but missed getting into the win column.
UHH scored just moments into the match when
Jesus Ortega notched his first score of the year, taking in a pass from
Andrew Dawrs and shooting it past the Holy Names keeper to make it 1-0 at 3:17. The Hawks answered 20 minutes later (23:53) when Juan Larios got the hosts on the scoreboard, but the Vuls found more offense in the 35
th minute when
Rodrigo Castellanos scored for the third time this season to send the visitors into the locker room with a 2-1 halftime lead.
But Holy Names came back and owned much of the second half. Herman Mercado scored in the 53
rd minute to tie it and Francisco Cruz Ayala put the Hawks on top in the 68
th minute to light up the scoreboard to 3-2.
Anthony Novella then provided extra time to the match and 2016 season when he scored in the 79
th minute for his second goal of the season. He took a pass from
Jonathan Garcia out of the air and headed it into the net to keep his teams' hopes alive. The final ten minutes were not without drama as UHH managed two shots that had potential, one that was blocked and one that was saved. The Hawks had the same, one shot blocked and one saved by Vuls keeper
Cassidy Dixon.
In the first overtime, Novella had a shot blocked, another by
Trenton Hooper sailed high. The Hawks had a shot deflected and another than sailed over the goal. Dixon had to make another save in the second overtime, and Garcia had a shot for the Vuls that sailed high before the match came to a close.
For the day, the Hawks had 23 shots, six of them on goal. The Vulcans had 13 shots, four of them that had to be saved.
On the season, UHH lost five matches by one goal and dropped two of those in overtime.
Three seniors played their final collegiate matches—Novella, Bennjamin Siemers and
Edward Torrison.
