HILO, Hawai'i – The No. 25 Hawai'i Hilo Women's Soccer team found themselves down on the scoreboard for the first time this season but answered the call to flip the score and claim a 4-2 victory over Dominican Sunday afternoon in Pacific West Conference play at the Vulcan Soccer Field.
Jazlynn Ellis factored into three of the Vulcans' scores, netting both the game-tying and insurance goals while assisting on the game-winner by Teani Arakawa just a few minutes into the second half. Ellis leads the conference in goals (three) and points (eight) early through the PacWest season (conference-only matches).
The Penguins got on the scoreboard early with a tap-in by Jackie Lancaster in the fifth minute, but the Vulcans answered back just mere moments later with fifth-year transfer Shea Christiansen blasting through her first collegiate score off a corner-kick header attempt from Alyssa Padron that deflected off of the goalkeeper.
Ellis' first goal was an odd sequence of events as Filippa Graneld drilled a cross in from a left corner kick and ricocheted it off the goalkeeper's head to the backside of Ellis and in for the score. On the game-winner assist, Ellis sent a cross from the left side that again deflected off of the goalkeeper for Arakawa to clean up for her sixth goal of the season.
In the 68th minute, Diana Garcia launched deep from 35 yards out and was met with the crossbar, but Ellis found herself front and center for another finish through the back of the net to close the scoring.
UP NEXT
No. 25 Hawai'i Hilo moved to a 3-0-0 record in the PacWest (6-0-2 overall) as Dominican moved to a 1-3-0 conference record (4-5-1 overall).
The Vulcans continue their homestand hosting Jessup (Oct. 12) and Menlo (Oct. 15) at the Vulcan Soccer Field.
Top four teams in the regular season standings will qualify for the first PacWest Conference Championships postseason tournament set for Nov. 14-16 at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California.
AMONG THE BEST
In the United Soccer Coaches Division II Rankings released last Tuesday, Hawai'i Hilo came in at the No. 25 spot in the Top 25 Week 4 Poll, earning its first national ranking of the season.
The Vulcans also moved up one spot in the West Regional poll to No. 5 — reclaiming their original slot in the preseason poll.
