UH-Hilo knew all about Hawaii Pacific’s Ebony Madrid, the PacWest player of the week, who scored two goals and added three assists in two games last week.
Still, the senior forward, from Potterville, Calif., produced a hat trick, including the game-winner, in a 3-2 double overtime victory over the Vulcans on Saturday at UHH’s baseball field, a long-awaited return to home after playing at Kamehameha’s Paiea Stadium for three years.
It was an improbable loss for the Vulcans, who led 2-0 at halftime and were second in goals allowed average last season.
Once they got a lead, the Vuls were really good at locking down a victory. That led to a tie for second place in the PacWest last year. But maybe this season’s edition is still learning to follow those footsteps.
Madrid’s last goal was the most troubling. She easily scored off a corner kick because she was all alone. There wasn’t a UHH defender within three yards of her. Madrid chest-volleyed the ball down and kicked it in with her left foot with 17 seconds left for the win.
UHH coach Gene Okamura was no happy camper. He knew his team let one get away. The Sharks have finished seventh, 10th, and 11th in the conference the last three years. Point Loma and Concordia are considered the conference’s best teams, HPU not so much.
“We got outscored and lost,” he said. “We were up 2-0 at halftime. In the second half, we didn’t come out with the same sharpness, enough for the entire match. That’s what happens when you don’t clear the ball, you get punished.”
It was a nonconference game between UHH (1-3-1) and HPU (3-2-1). However, it’s not baseball with lots of games. Each loss or tie is a wasted opportunity for a win and more points in the standings.
“Every match is important,” Okamura said.
The Vulcans didn’t assign a shadow on Madrid, someone to follow her like glue. They applied their normal game plan and got burned. Madrid is listed at just 5 feet 3, but she relentlessly goes after balls.
“Every team we play has a pretty good forwards,” Okamura said. “We wanted to keep her in front of us, don’t let her turn and run against us. If she runs, then she’s dangerous.”
In the first half, Crystal Sanchez scored in the 15th minute, and Nanea Wall added another goal at the 29:17 mark for a 2-0 halftime lead.
But the Sharks fought back, behind Madrid, who’s now tied for the conference lead with seven goals.
Just 10 minutes into the second half, Madrid scored on a header and later added another goal on a header.
In the first overtime, HPU was awarded a penalty kick. Madrid kicked the ball over the crossbar. If she put it on the ground, that would have been an easy game-winner.
HPU coach Gina Brewer is in her eighth year. She coached the Sharks to a school-best 11-4-2 record in 2014. She was a UH-Manoa assistant and played at Washington, which went to the NCAA tournament three times.
She knows what winning feels like and was glad her Sharks rallied in the second half when they often beat UHH to the ball and controlled possession much better, giving themselves shot opportunities (10 shots on goal to UHH’s 13).
“It took a lot of heart, grit, and determination,” she said. “We played six games in two weeks and played Chaminade in double OT (2-2 tie) on Thursday.
“Ebony has speed and is athletic. She’s dangerous to defend. She’s elusive because she can quickly change directions and find little pockets.”
Madrid is a nursing major and missed the practice when the Sharks focused on penalty kicks. She was determined to get another scoring shot. It just so happened the Vuls, who didn’t mark her, made it all too easy for her.
“After I missed that PK, I wanted to make it up to my teammates,” she said. “Everybody worked hard and we showed a lot of character.”
It’s a loss that will sting. Maybe it’ll be pivotal to UHH’s postseason hopes or maybe not. Either way, Okamura hopes his Vuls take something from a supposed win that slipped through their fingers.
“Something like this, you want to let it soak in and feel it,” he said. “At the same time, you want to let it go pretty quick.”
Men
HPU 6, UHH 1: The struggles continue for the Vulcans (0-4), who have scored three goals in four games. Pedro Werneck scored for UHH.
Gerrit Arzberger scored twice for the Sharks (2-2-1). Reese Montgomery added two goals while Jair Espinoza and Mitchell Brenner had one score apiece.
Volleyball
UHH def. Dominican 25-23, 25-13, 25-19: Bria Beale drilled 15 kills, Amber Tai had nine, and Emily Wade added eight kills and hit .315 for the Vulcans (6-5, 1-2), who had far more kills, 40-16.
Eleni Louizou had five kills to lead the Penguins (1-8, 1-2), who outblocked UHH, 9-3.