Timing is everything, and Monday was clearly not the right time for UH-Hilo’s men’s soccer team to run into Cal Poly Pomona.
After opening the season with a pair of one-goal losses, the Vulcans found themselves trailing by two goals before five minutes had ticked off the clock.
It only got worse from there.
The motivated Broncos scored five first-half goals en route to a 6-0 home victory that serves as the second-worst loss for UHH coach Paul Regrutto.
The second year coach made the Vuls’ road trip rugged by design, but tough took on a new form against Pomona (1-3-1), which was looking for its first win after entering the season ranked No. 2 in Division II.
Cyro Oliveira scored in the third and 43rd minutes and Jimmie Villalobos netted two goals in a row to put the Broncos up 3-0. Villalobos has five goals on the season.
The Vuls (0-3) were outshot 21-9 and put only one shot on frame – by Kalei Tolentino-Perry in the second half.
Junior goalkeeper Michael Harre made three saves for UHH, which opens up Pacific West Conference play at 3 p.m. Saturday at the campus baseball field.
The women’s match is at 12:30 p.m.
Golf
UH-Hilo sophomore Andrew Otani shot a second-round 68 for an even par 76—144 total on Monday to place 13th at the Western Washington Invitational in Bellingham, Wash.
Otani was the only Vulcan to shoot under par through 36 holes at the Bellingham Golf and Country Club, where 18 teams and over 100 golfers will play the final round on Tuesday.
Warren Miller was the next at 5 over (73-76), followed by Taylor Patrick at 7 over (74-77), Evan Merrier at 8 over (79-73), and Noah Lau at 16 over (77-81) for UHH, which was in 10th place.
Otani equaled his best round; he shot 68 at St. Martin’s tourney week. He had six birdies, 10 pars and two bogeys.
Dixie State was in first place, six strokes ahead of the field. Western Washington’s Ethan Castro is leading at 8 under (69-67).
• UH-Hilo senior Warren Miller fired a 1-under 71 for sixth place, and Andrew Otani shot a career-best 68 at Saint Martin’s Invitational on Saturday in DuPont, Wash.
After opening with a 68 on Friday, Miller finished at 8 under (66-71-71), his best tourney finish and four shots behind winner Ethan deGraaf of British Columbia in UHH’s season-opening meet.
The Vulcans finished 10th in the 14-team field.
Otani, last season’s PacWest freshman of the year, finished 33rd. He had five birdies in his final round.
Merrier was 28th at 217 (74-76-68), Patrick tied for 61st (80-75-74), and Lau was 69th (76-83-74).
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