Box Score

SAN DIEGO - Griffin Fuller's goal in the 73rd minute broke a scoreless tie and lifted the Point Loma men's soccer team to a 1-0 win over Pacific West Conference rival Hawaii Hilo on Saturday, Sept. 28.

The win improves the Sea Lions' record to 4-3-1 on the season. The victory also gives PLNU its seventh point in league play (2-0-1) as it moved into second in the conference standings, just two points back on PacWest-leader Azusa Pacific. The loss drops the Vulcans to 3-2 on the season and evens their PacWest record at 1-1.

Neither team could find the net in the first 72 minutes of the match. Each team had some good looks at the net in the first period but each shot was thwarted by Sea Lions' goalkeeper Carter Phillips and his counterpart Yonha Andrabi.

Matt Steinhaus and Fuller were finally about to allow PLNU to break through on the scoreboard midway through the second period. Steinhaus dribbled the ball into the corner and fired a crossing pass in front of the net. Fuller rose up near the middle of the net and he connected with the ball and was able to redirect it into the net on the header for his second goal of the season. 

"Griff is a guy we need to step up," said PLNU head coach Phil Wolf. "He has been in this program for four years and he has to be one of those guys putting it out there each day because it is the last year of his college career. There was a marked difference in his play today and I am very proud of him for scoring that goal today.

"We talked about quality in the final-third and we had the ball in there a lot," explained Wolf. "At the end of the day someone needs to make a play and Matt and Griff did that today. It was a very well taken cross today and a well taken header. You need guys that can do that. Moving forward we just need brave kids and quality in the final-third."

After the goal the Sea Lions' defense clamped down and allowed just one shot the rest of the match. Phillips finished the contest with three saves and Yonha had four. Point Loma dominated the shots today with 18 compared to just eight for the Vulcans.

PLNU has now won four of its last six contests, with a tie and a loss also mixed in. The four wins the Sea Lions have earned this season also doubles their total from 2012.

"We were able to get a couple of good results in the Bay Area and we were able to open conference play at home with a win," said Wolf. "Anytime you can earn points in conference you are feeling good about it.

"It was nice to get a result at home after our last match because I felt both were similar matches but we got a loss the other day and today we got the result," added Wolf. "I'm just very glad the guys got the result because they were working hard and passing the ball. To get a reward for it is very nice."

The Sea Lions will continue its homestand next week when it welcomes in three PacWest conference opponents starting with BYU-Hawaii on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 3:30 p.m.