UH-Hilo men’s soccer coach Paul Regrutto knew he was stating the obvious in the preseason when he discussed his team’s 2019 scoring struggles, saying, “If you’re going to win, you’re going to have to score some goals.”
This is also obvious: When a team scores four goals, it makes it much easier to win.
In the season-opener of this shortened spring campaign Saturday, UH-Hilo went out and put up the most goals it’s scored since 2016, with four different players finding the back of the net in a 4-1 win against Chaminade at Saint Louis’ field on Oahu.
“I thought the big key was that we played together,” Regrutto said
All of the goal-scorers were making their Vulcans debuts, including three freshman: former Waiakea standout John Grover, Tom Vorkastner and redshirt David Mayser.
“We have some very good young players, but they don’t step into a match like this and play well unless they have the support of the older players,” Regrutto said. “They give each other belief.”
Starting off the UHH scoring onslaught was junior transfer Luca Lippert, a German who Regrutto mentioned as a potential new source of offense heading into the season.
Lippert netted an equalizer in the 22nd minute after Tasman Turner scored off of a corner kick for the Silverswords (0-0-2) a little more than 10 minutes into the match.
Grover also scored on a set piece after Tommy Seaver took a free kick, and Vorkastner widened the lead before halftime on a goal that Julian Garcia garnered an assist, UHH’s third goal in a 20-minute span.
In the 75th minute, Mayser converted a penalty kick.
Christian Souza made three saves for UHH.
“I can’t say we created a tremendous amount of opportuniti ees, but I thought we were dangerous quite often,” Regrutto said. “The trick for us going forward will be turning dangerous opportunities into scoring opportunities. I have no doubt that this team is capable of doing it. They work very hard and they have a lot of desire.”
The conditions, a Chaminade release said, includes a howling wind and intermittent showers.
In the women’s game, former Konawaena standout Nanea Wall scored in the 88th minute as the Vulcans salvaged a 2-2 draw.
Randi Fontes netted both goals for the Silverswords (1-0-1), one on a breakaway and the other on a penalty kick
The Vulcans’ Christina Kanellou tied the match 1-1, and it remained that way for more than 55 minutes until Fontes’ PK in the 86th minute. Wall scored the equalizer a little more than 2 minutes later after gathering and errant ball just beyond the box and delivering blast just under the crossbar.
“I think a lot of fatigue happened and it got sloppy at the end,” UHH coach Gene Okamura said.
The Vulcans play Hawaii Pacific on Sunday at Saint Louis, with the men taking the field first at 11 a.m.