THIS WEEK
Saturday, Oct. 7, UH Hilo (0-8/0-5 PWC) vs. Hawaii Pacific (2-4-2/0-3-1 PWC), Waipahu, 3 pm
(Link to Live Stats for all matches available at www.hiloathletics.com)

Hilo Headlines: The Vulcans dropped two heart wrenching, one-goal matches at home on Saturday and Tuesday, falling in overtime to Academy of Art (1-0) and on a stunning goal with less than four minutes left to Holy Names, 2-1.

Rivalry Saturday: The Vulcans have just one match this weekend, taking on rival Hawaii Pacific on Oahu on Saturday (Oct. 7). The match kicks off at 3 p.m. and will be played in Waipahu at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park.

Shark Tank: Hawaii Pacific tied Holy Names on Saturday (2-2) to snap a three-match losing streak. After a 2-1-1 start, which included a 4-1 win over Hawaii Hilo, the Sharks have gone 0-3-1. But, all three of those losses were by just one goal, including a 4-3 scorefest with then No. 11 nationally ranked California Baptist. Josch Cuerten, who had two goals in the season opener against the Vulcans, has five goals and two assists on the season. With the 4-1 win on Sept. 2, the Sharks now lead the all-time series with the Vulcans, 16-8-2.

So Close: In UHH's eight losses, the Vulcans have lost four of those matches by just one goal, and had leads in three of the contests. In addition to playing their first six matches on the road, they have had to go up against the likes of Cal State LA, who is 7-1-1, and No. 9 nationally ranked California Baptist, who is 8-1-1.

If It Wasn't For Bad Luck: Albert King's timeless blues classic Born Under a Bad Sign says "if it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all." The Vulcan men's soccer team has to feel some of that, after falling in the most stunning and maddening ways against Academy of Art and Holy Names. Against the Urban Knights, the two squads battled for 101 scoreless minutes before AAU scored with nine minutes left in the second overtime. The two teams were virtually even in shots for the match and time of possession. Against the Hawks, the visitors scored with literally no time left on the clock in the first half to tie the match, and then got the winner in the 87^th minute. Again, the stats were nearly identical, but the Vulcans came up just short in both.

Scoring Column: Freshman Bryan Reynoso has three of UHH's four goals thus far, and sophomore Jonathan Garcia has two of the team's four assists. Reynoso also leads the squad with 15 shots, including 10 on goal.

Just Gene: "All we can do is keep working," said head coach Gene Okamura. "We are certainly playing hard enough, I have no problem with that. We just can't afford to make any mental mistakes. We have to be locked in for all 90 minutes. Our mental lapses always seem to come at the worst possible time."

Mixing It Up: The Vulcans have 12 returnees from their 2016 squad, eight of whom saw consistent starting time. In addition to that group, 14 newcomers dot the roster, comprised of seven transfers and seven freshmen. Eight of the newcomers are seeing consistent starting time.

Looking Ahead: After the Saturday match on Oahu, the Vulcans will hit the road again for three matches. They play Point Loma in San Diego on Oct. 14, Biola in La Mirada on Oct. 16 and Dixie State in St. George, Utah on Oct. 19. They will return home on Oct. 24 for a match versus Notre Dame de Namur.

The Coach: Gene Okamura enters into his second season as the leader of the men's and women's soccer programs at UH Hilo. The former Vulcan player and UH Hilo graduate served three seasons as an assistant prior to getting the director's job, and was also the head coach at Kamehameha School, where his team finished second in the HHSAA State Championships in 2015-16. The local product (Waiakea HS) is the Director of Coaching for Hawaii Big Rush and Haaheo Soccer Clubs.