HAYWARD, Calif. – Cal Poly Humboldt men's soccer battled hard but ultimately fell 2-1 against the nationally ranked No. 21 Hawaii Hilo Vulcans (5-1-0) in a non-conference matchup on Saturday afternoon at Chabot College Soccer Field, a neutral site venue for both teams. Despite a strong defensive effort, the Lumberjacks were unable to overcome the Vulcans' potent attack, moving their season record to 1-3-2.

The match got off to a tough start for the Lumberjacks as Hawaii Hilo took an early lead in the 16th minute. The Vulcans' Colby Lee converted a penalty kick to make it 1-0, placing the ball confidently into the net. Humboldt responded in the 34th minute with an equalizer from Nathan Murff, his first goal of the season. Murff capitalized on a key pass from Miles Mukherjea-Gehrig, who stole the ball from the Vulcans' center back before delivering a precision pass into the box. Murff slotted the ball into the bottom right corner, leveling the score at 1-1.

The match remained tense into the second half, but Hawaii Hilo regained the lead in the 54th minute when Tom Vorkastner found the back of the net. The Vulcans' forward dribbled free at the top of the box and sent a strike into the top left corner to notch his first goal of the season, which ultimately proved to be the game-winner.

Humboldt battled hard to find a second equalizer, but the Vulcans' defense held firm. The Jacks managed eight shots overall, with three on goal, while Hilo's attack recorded 15 shots, five of which were on target. Humboldt goalkeeper recorded three saves to keep the team in contention.

Two second-half yellow cards were issued to Humboldt, with Enrique Tiscareno and Dylan Vega being cautioned in the 63rd and 76th minutes, respectively. Both teams played aggressively, finishing the match even with 11 fouls each.

Cal Poly Humboldt will return to the pitch next week as they open CCAA conference play. Despite the loss, the Jacks demonstrated resilience against a top-ranked opponent and will look to build on today's performance as they move forward.

Match Statistics
- Shots: Humboldt 8 (3 SOG), Hawaii Hilo 15 (5 SOG)
- Saves: Humboldt 3, Hawaii Hilo 2
- Corner Kicks: Humboldt 1, Hawaii Hilo 7
- Fouls: Humboldt 11, Hawaii Hilo 11

Looking Ahead
Cal Poly Humboldt will hit the road next weekend and finish their non-conference schedule next Saturday at Sonoma State (2-1-2). Kickoff is set for 12:30 PM from Seawolf Soccer Field in Rohnert Park. The match will be available for streaming on FloFC. For more information on Cal Poly Humboldt Men's Soccer, please visit humboldtathletics.com, download our mobile app, and follow us on all social media platforms.