SEASIDE, Calif.—There were 109:30 minutes of soccer played in UH Hilo's 2019 season opener at Cal State Monterey Bay, one in which the Vulcans had plenty of high numbers on the stat sheet but ultimately lost 2-1 on a penalty kick with 30 seconds left in the second overtime.

After an Otter player went down just outside the box, late in the second overtime, Lia Gilgore lined up the penalty kick and drilled it in for the game winner just past UHH's Bailey Cahill. That sent the Otters sprinting onto the field in celebration, sending the Vulcans to a tough loss to open the year.

The loss at the Otter Sports Complex means that UH Hilo begins the year at 0-1, while Cal State Monterey Bay improves to 2-0. The defeat goes to the Vulcans despite owning a 14-8 shot advantage, including 9-5 on goal. The visitors also had a 13-7 advantage in corner kicks.

Host CSUMB took a 1-0 lead into the halftime break, scoring with just under six minutes left. A breakaway pulled Vulcan keeper Cahill out of the goal, and Sierra Levy took advantage with the score (assist by Ale Gonzalez).

The Otters held the statistical edge in a defensive first half, with four shots to UH Hilo's one. Three of the Otter's shots were on goal, allowing Cahill two saves. UH Hilo had four corner kicks to SSU's three, but couldn't convert any set pieces.

The Vulcans turned up the heat in the second half. They had seven shots in the first 15 minutes, many of them off corner kicks. Five of the shots were on goal and had to be saved.

UH Hilo finally broke through at 62:50 on a pretty touch pass from Brende Yoshizumi to a sliding Brianna Valencia, who pushed the ball into the lower left corner of the net. Earlier in the half, Valencia just missed on a header that was saved by Otter keeper Alyssa Noh.

The Vulcans continued to put the pressure on. Almost all of the second half was played with UH Hilo on offense. They had eight corner kicks in the second half to CSUMB's three, and they lofted 12 shots to the Otter's two. That included a bullet from Crystal Sanchez that ended in a diving save by Noh with under ten minutes left.

It was the Otters who had the best opportunity in the first overtime when a shot in a bunched pack in front of the net glanced off a Vulcan player and went out of play. In the second overtime, it was played evenly until the late desperation dash by the Otters, that ended with the penalty call, penalty kick, and game winner.

Noh had eight saves in the match for the Otters, while Cahill had four for the Vulcans.

The Vulcans will stay in northern California for a Monday encounter at Cal State East Bay. Start time is 1 pm Pacific time.