Fans who attend the UH-Hilo women’s soccer team’s season-opener Thursday shouldn’t feel bad if they don’t immediately recognize many of the Vulcans’ players.
Soccer director Lance Thompson is just now getting all the new names down himself.
“A lot of new faces,” Thompson said. “We’re very inexperienced and we’re young.
“We don’t know what we don’t know.”
Thompson engineered a revival two seasons ago in his first year with a junior-heavy women’s team, and UH-Hilo repeated its winning ways last season while playing to six draws.
In a few instances, Thompson’s elected to go to the junior college route to find new players, but for the most part he’s recruited high school players to build for the future.
“We’re going to make mistakes, but the only way to improve and get better is to put them out there and let them grow and learn,” he said. “They’ve risen to every challenge in training camp, and shown they can compete.
“But until I see it in a game, it’s going to keep me up at night.”
As the Vulcans get set to host Simon Fraser at 12:30 p.m. Thursday on the campus baseball field, the stark reality is this: Kristine Pasek graduated last season as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 26 goals. UH-Hilo’s returning players combined to score three goals last season. Senior Kahri Golden scores twice last season and junior Abcde Zoller netted one.
That’s means true freshmen Danika Steele and Tiera Arakawa will be counted on to score right away. Steele, a forward from Vista, Calif., was one of Thompson’s biggest recruits, having played on an under-18 national championship team in Southern California, while Maui’s Arakawa has been the surprise of fall camp. The King Kekaulike graduate could play at an as attacking center midfield or at forward.
“Tiera keeps getting better,” Thompson said. “A tough kid with a nose for a goal.
“Danika has been really impressive. Great soccer awareness and good feel for the game.”
The biggest returning known quantity on the team is junior goalkeeper Jenna Hufford, who notched four shutouts in her second season as a starter and finished 7-3-3.
Even Thompson, who preaches a don’t-beat-yourself mentality, was happy with the 18 goals the Vulcans allowed in 18 matches. Of course, that was with a veteran backline.
The center backs this season will be freshmen Brooke Miller and Cayla Velander, who both bring good height, while freshman Dior Motas, a Moanalua (Oahu) graduate, will join athletic JC transfer Annabel Gonzalez on the outside.
“I think Jenna is going to be more tested than she’s accustomed to,” Thompson said. “I’ve noticed she’s been more vocal in training sessions.”
If Waiakea graduate Sabrina Scott, the reigning BIIF Division I Player of the Year, doesn’t start in the midfield, then she’s at least earned a lot of playing time. Scott’s soccer acumen already has won over Thompson. Other options at midfield include freshman Skyla Wilson and juniors Nicole Statham and Natalia Vasco, and Golden.
Zoller is in the mix up top with freshman Leighana Weaver and JC transfer Jennifer Mendez.
“I am anxious to see what the season brings with such a young crowd,” Thompson said.
