HILO, Hawaii— Men's soccer made it three wins in a row, with an impressive 2-1 win over the current Pacific West Conference leaders, Hawaii Hilo, on Saturday evening. The Vulcans were unbeaten at Vulcan Soccer Field heading into kickoff, but a 31st-minute goal from Luke Parker put that narrative under jeopardy for a 1-0 VU lead at the break.

Hilo gained footing in the second half, outshooting VU 10-1, but the Lions had the decisive kick, as Juan Vazquez scored the winner in the 51st minute. The Vulcans pulled a late goal back from Felix Drizinksy in the 85th minute, but VU protected their lead to pull out all three points.

The Blue and Gold jump to 5-3-2 and 3-0 in the conference. Hilo's (4-4-2, 3-2-1) spot at the top sits in peril after losing two of their three fixtures so far in October.

Juan Vazquez now has four goals on the season to lead the Lions and holds the highest goal tally in the conference among freshmen. The midfielder's four goals have all come in each of the last four games, with Vazquez producing each as a substitute.

The VU goal creators were Henry Garcia and Robert Ronco. Garcia netted his first career point for the Blue and Gold while Ronco earned his fifth career assist and first goal involvement of the campaign for VU.

Hilo led in shots 12-7 and corner kicks 5-3. They were narrowly beaten in shots on target (5-4 VU).  Both keepers made three saves apiece.

What Happened? Vanguard was in on goal inside two minutes of kickoff, as the Blue and Gold hunted on a Hilo back pass in defence. Pressure from Adan Alvarado down the right forced the giveaway in possession, as the midfielder slipped the ball toward Ronco in the box. Ronco shifted his feet, sweeping an off-balance shot goalward before a Vulcan defender blocked it away for a corner kick.

The Lions sprayed three more shots on the Hilo net inside the opening 15 minutes, with attempts from Alvarado and Alex Martinez each requiring saves down the middle of the frame. Bryan Ortiz also had a go at goal, fizzing a deep effort from outside of the box, which skipped right in front of the keeper before it was brushed away for a corner kick.

The Lions remained in control with a convincing 6-2 split in shots in the half, giving Aidan Hay little to do in the Vanguard net.

Openings diminished for either team through the midway portion of the half, as VU and UHH each struggled to stay onside. Dangerous build-up play between Shaun Im, Ortiz, and Ronco was canceled out for offside, while a strike off the post from Hilo was also dispelled by the far side official's flag.

After a stale spell, VU molded the opening goal in the 31st minute. Hay's goal kick floated to the right-hand side of the field and was settled by Niko Ochoa. Ochoa drove down the wing and crossed the ball with the Hilo clearance coming only as far as Garcia at the edge of the box. The ball was lifted into Parker, who was cemented near the edge of the box and the freshman turned on the volley, rifling a pure strike into the side netting of the bottom left corner. It was Parker's second goal of his career.

Hilo tried for an instant response, earning a free kick after kickoff. The driven ball to the back post met the Vulcan runner, but the effort splashed off the wrong side of the VU net.

The Blue and Gold wasted little time before securing their second goal after the second half started. Ronco whisked the ball into Vazquez off a throw-in from the right side. With his back to goal, Vazquez spun away from his defender, wheeled his way to the corner of the 18, and bent the left-footed strike against the post and in for a 2-0 scoreline.

VU's hold on the match was put into question for the next 40 minutes, with the Vulcans owning all 10 of the remaining shots in the half. Luckily for Vanguard, the Hilo efforts were far from clear-cut, as the Vulcans primarily found offense off deadly set pieces and various long throw-ins.

Heading into the 70th-minute mark, Hilo looked well poised to grab something off a quality set-piece conversion. They misfired off two free headers in a 10-minute span, and clipped a shot straight into Hay off an attack through the middle.

The Vulcans broke through with five minutes left to play, off an inswinging corner kick which was drilled off the head of Drizinsky for the 2-1 score. Though Hilo's formula was sound, the Lions protected their lead and snagged all three points to conclude their Hawaii trip.

What Was Said? "We came out to Hawaii to get six points and we did it," remarked Head Coach Jesus Miramontes. "I thought we scored some great goals today and defended well against a solid team. Every player contributed and put in a solid shift. It was a great ending to a tough trip."

What's Next? The Lions are back on the mainland for a meeting with Concordia on Wednesday, October 15, at 6:30 pm.