IRVINE, Calif.—The University of Hawai`i Hilo women's soccer team, which finished tied for second in the Pacific West Conference, had seven players selected to the all-conference squad, including three to the first team, announced today by the league office.
The Vulcans had not had a player earn first team recognition since 2008 (Melissa Grant). This is the first time ever that they have had three First Team picks, and the seven selections overall are the most for the program since it was born in 2006.
Tiera Arakawa, Lucy Maino and Jodi Lillie were named to the First Team, selected by the conference coaches. Bailey Cahill and Jaimie Salas were Second Team picks, while Carlie Reader and Maleni Avalos were named to the Third Team.
"This is a tremendous testimony to the season that the girls had," said Vulcan head coach Gene Okamura. "It's we have never had this much representation on the All-PacWest team."
Arakawa, a four-year starter from Makawao (Maui), had three goals and four assists this season. She leaves the program sixth on UH Hilo's all-time points list with 27, with 11 goals and five assists. Maino, a two-year starter at defender after transferring from College of the Canyons, had four goals and an assist from her defensive position. The Papua New Guinea native was third on the Vulcans in scoring.
Lillie, a first-year player from Mililani, Hawai`i, was one of only three freshmen named to the First Team.
"Our defense was one of the best in the conference, second statistically only to Point Loma," Okamura said. "I think that the PacWest coaches had respect for that and honored us appropriately."
Cahill, the junior goalkeeper that was a huge part of that defense, had one of the best seasons at that position in Vulcan history. She gave up just nine goals in 16 matches, and had a 0.60 Goals Against Average—just missing the top mark in school history by 0.01. Senior forward Salas, who transferred to UH Hilo two seasons ago from Arizona State, shared the team lead in scoring with Arakawa, with ten points on five goals.
Reader has been UHH's most aggressive offensive player since transferring in 2017 from Chico State, leading the Vulcans in shots in each of the last two seasons. She had three goals and two assists in 2018 and leaves the program with eight goals and four assists in two seasons. Avalos parlayed her first season as a starter into Third Team recognition, playing a key role on UH Hilo's strong defense.
The Vulcans, who finished 10-4-2 overall and 7-3-1 in the PacWest, just missed the seven-team NCAA West Region playoffs. Only one team from the PacWest qualified, conference champion Point Loma.
"Our senior class deserves so much credit for helping to get the program headed into a championship direction," Okamura added. "I am happy that five of them received the honors that they deserve by being selected to the All-PacWest team."
