It’s all about the zeroes right now in Big West soccer.
Zero losses for roughly half the league through nearly two weeks of conference play. And zero wins for an unfortunate cluster of four teams stacked at the bottom.
One of the unbeatens, UC Irvine, arrives at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium today for a 5 p.m. date with Hawaii, one of the have-nots.
UH (5-6, 0-2 BWC), which has lost five straight league games going back to last season, is looking to reverse course against UCI (7-3-4, 2-0-1), then keep it up over the next two weeks when it plays the last three of its BWC home games. The Rainbow Wahine likely need a result (win or draw) in each of them to stay alive for a first Big West tournament appearance.
They haven’t played at Waipio in an official contest since Aug. 28, eight games ago.
“We are home. That’s very crucial,” senior forward Sonest Furtado said. “We’re going to get the home-field advantage, we’re going to have a great crowd. I think we just need to come into these next four games fired up, pumped up, and leave it all on the field.”
It’s been a wacky BWC season, with two teams expected to finish near the bottom, UC Riverside (3-0) and UC Davis (2-0), leading the pack. It has UH — which was picked last — thinking it’s time it sprung an upset.
BIG WEST SOCCER
>> When: Today, 5 p.m.
>> Where: Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium
>> Who: UC Irvine (7-3-4, 2-0-1 Big West) at Hawaii (5-6, 0-2)
>> TV: Spectrum Sports
“There’s just more parity in our conference than ever before,” coach Michele Nagamine said.
“I’m hoping that with some of the performances we put together on the road, the wins at Idaho State, Arizona State and Grand Canyon, I’m hoping we, No. 1, remember how to play at home, and have people come out and see the team. We’ve grown tremendously since the beginning of the season and we’re a very entertaining team to watch.”
But UH is coming off a brutal road trip that saw it squander a vast shots advantage in a 1-0 loss at UC Davis, then lose its most experienced center back, senior Paige Okazaki, to a devastating, career-ending knee injury in a 2-0 loss at Long Beach State.
The Wahine are also without injured defender Bo Samson, meaning their defense is comprised of two sophomores (Sammi Walker, Kiri Dale) and two freshmen (Cristina Drossos, Taylor Mason).
“Everyone has the potential to prove themselves and play in the back line,” Drossos said. “It’s really unfortunate that Paige got injured, our senior, and our starting center back.
“(Leading in the back) was kind of a curveball, but I’m taking the opportunity head on. … I can’t wait to see what happens this season.”