Box Score HILO, Hawai`i--Hawai`i Pacific's Ebony Madrid ruined what was supposed to be a home-sweet-home debut for the Hawai`i Hilo women's soccer team.
Madrid scored twice in the second half and once in the second sudden death overtime on Saturday afternoon to give her team a stunning 3-2 win over the Vulcans at the George and Marion Hall Memorial Stadium--on the UH Hilo campus. The match was a non-conference encounter (they will play a PacWest match next weekend on Oahu). UH Hilo is now 1-3-1 and HPU improved to 3-2-1.
Madrid's heroics erased a 2-0 Hawai'i Hilo lead.
Crystal Sanchez scored in the 15th minute and
Nanea Wall added a score at the 29:17 mark to give the Vulcans a 2-0 halftime lead on the upper campus field, where the Vulcans were playing for the first time in four years. Both teams kept their opposing goalkeeper busy in the first 45 minutes with eight shots apiece. UH Hilo's
Bailey Cahill had five saves in the first half, same for HPU's Gretchen Berkey.
It took less than nine minutes in the second half for the Sharks to pull within a goal. At 58:58 Madrid scored her fifth goal of the season to make the count 2-1. And with just seven minutes remaining, Madrid struck again, picking up a loose ball near the goal and nudging it across the line (for her sixth goal).
Both teams made solid efforts to score the winning goal in regulation.
Christina Kanellou fired a shot with five minutes left that went wide. HPU's Nina Gonzales sent a blast at the goal from the left side that Cahill dove and save. The most dramatic opportunity came with just 21 seconds left when Wall broke free and launched a shot that just sailed over the top of the bar and out of the reach of Sharks keeper Marissa Froio, who came into the match at the start of the second half.
In the first overtime, the Vulcans had a pair of shots that had to be saved, but neither was dangerous. The danger, and maybe home field advantage kicked in with five minutes left when a Shark player was tackled just outside the box. That sent Madrid to the line for the penalty kick, which most folks had already scratched into their book as game winner--except her shot went high over the bar, keeping the match alive.
In the second and final overtime, UHH's
Brenna Rill had a shot sail high, and HPU's Emily Lemus and Callie Rheaume had shots at Cahill that had to be saved. The match looked to be heading to what would have been the second tie of the young season, until Madrid stuck again.
Madrid picked up a ball in the middle of a scrum in front of the goal, and flicked it in with just 17 seconds remaining. Her goal stunned the Vulcans and the crowd. Her was her seventh goal in just six matches, and she also has three assists on the year.
The Vulcans will get a chance for revenge next weekend. They will play Chaminade first on Oahu on Friday (Oct. 4) before playing the Sharks in a PacWest encounter on Sunday.
