SEATTLE, Washington – After previously opening the season with 180 minutes of scoreless play, it didn't take long for the Vulcans to unload the floodgates and score more than enough to make up for it. Teani Arakawa netted a hat-trick as Hawai'i Hilo Women's Soccer downed No. 8 Seattle Pacific, 4-0, Thursday afternoon at Interbay Stadium.

Alyssa Padron got the Vulcans on the scoreboard just two minutes into the match after slipping by the left side of the Falcons defenders and connecting on a pass from Arakawa to finish through the right side of the net.

Just over 15 minutes later, Filippa Graneld won a one-on-one battle past the left side of the penalty area and crossed the ball in off her left foot for Arakawa to flush through from five yards out.

Less than 60 ticks later, Graneld again was in control and sent a long ball from beyond midfield to a racing Arakawa against three defenders. After taking a clear attempt straight to her torso, the reigning D2 CCA All-West Region Player of the Year recovered for a quick slap with the left foot to slot the ball in the upper-right corner from 10 yards out.

"We came out pressing hard from the start and all the way to the end. I feel like it broke down the other team," Arakawa said. "It was different from our first two games because we didn't really have that pressure or much of a mindset of coming out like how we did today."

Arakawa wrapped up the hat-trick six minutes into the second half after taking a bump inside the penalty area and converting on the ensuing penalty kick.

"I was hungry. I haven't been scoring and it's been building up so I'm happy I finally got my goals in," Arakawa said, whose career goals total is now at 26 (21 as a Vulcan). "But it was a whole team effort to get the result we did today."

Phoebe Barnes was credited with just two saves on the afternoon for career shutout No. 16 (sixth as a Vulcan). Hawai'i Hilo dominated with a 19-9 shot advantage (10-2 on-goal).

Thursday's match wrapped up a three-game season-opening road trip that took the Vulcans through Southern California and the Pacific Northwest. But this time on the sidelines, they were without ninth-year head coach Gene Okamura, who departed the team early to return to the Big Island after the birth of his newborn child.

"We came out very motivated. I feel like we didn't show much of our potential in our other games. We were hungry to win," Arakawa said. "[Okamura] wanted us to bring back the win for him and his baby so that helped fuel the fire as well."

UP NEXT

Hawai'i Hilo moved to 1-0-2 (0-0-0 Pacific West Conference) as No. 8 Seattle Pacific moved to a 2-1-0 record (0-0-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference).

The Vulcans will return home to host fellow GNAC foe Western Oregon next Thursday, Sept. 19 at 3 p.m. Hawai'i Hilo will then hop over to O'ahu for a non-conference tilt at Chaminade (Sept. 21) before returning a week later to open PacWest Conference play against HPU.

AMONG THE BEST IN THE WEST

In the first United Soccer Coaches Top 25 released on Tuesday, Hawai'i Hilo landed at No. 8 in the West Region.

The next poll will be released Sept. 17.