In front of fans for the first time this year, the University of Hawaii at Hilo women’s soccer team needed just one score to outlast the visiting Concordia Irvine Eagles in a defensive 1-0 victory on Tuesday in Hilo.

With the defenses and keepers firing on all cylinders, the Vulcans (8-3, 5-1 PacWest) and Eagles (3-4-3, 2-1-1) battled to a 0-0 first-half draw. The second half proved to be a similarly defense-heavy affair, until UHH’s Christina Kanellou volleyed a well-placed pass in the 77th minute from teammate Daelenn Tokunaga past the Eagles’ keeper and into the goal for what later proved to be the winning-score.

UH Hilo outshot Concordia-Irvine 13-5, but held a slim 3-2 shots on goal advantage. Keeper Viviana Poli recorded her third shutout of the season, making two saves for the Vulcans.

A five-game homestand to end the season rolls on for UH Hilo, with Biola coming to town to take on the Vulcans on Thursday at noon.

Vulcans survive second-half barrage

The University of Hawaii at Hilo men’s soccer survived a second-half offensive surge by Concordia Irvine to collect a 2-1 victory in front of fans for the first time this season on Tuesday in Hilo.

UH Hilo (4-5-1, 2-3-1) outshot Concordia Irvine (4-5-2, 2-1-1) 5-4 in the first half, en route to picking up a pair of goals. Luca Lippert found the back of the net just four minutes into the game on a sliding kick to push a pass from Kalei Tolentino-Perry into goal. Nine minutes later, Alexander Hernandez-Herbach put away a 13th-minute goal off a pass from Henrique Castilho to make it 2-0 before half.

The Eagles did everything possible to make a comeback in the second half, outshooting the Vulcans 7-1 in the final period. CUI managed to claw back a score with an 80th-minute goal.

UH Hilo will host Biola on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in the second of five straight home games to close the season.

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Star-Advertiser staff