WAIPAHU, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Pacific University scored four unanswered goals to blow by Dominican (Calif.) 4-1 on Wednesday afternoon in PacWest Conference action at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex.
 
The Sharks (7-8-1, 3-7-1) snapped a five-game losing streak with the win. The Penguins (5-8-2, 3-6-1) lost for the first time in four outings.
 
The Sharks made a change at goalkeeper for the first time this season, as senior Alannah John of Sacramento, Calif./Ponderosa made her first appearance of the season in starting the contest.
 
Things didn't look good for John and HPU early, as Dominican scored a goal in the fourth minute of contest off a corner kick. DUC's Ivy Torres sent her corner into the box where Mariah Meza headed into the goal past a screened John for her fifth tally of the season and a 1-0 DUC lead. But it would be the only score of the day for the Penguins.
 
It took almost the rest of the half for HPU to put up the equalizer.
 
In the 44th minute, sophomore Ebony Madrid of Porterville, Calif./Ramstein chalked up her team-leading eighth goal of the season. Madrid knocked down a deflected pass and fired a shot that went through the arms and legs of Penguin goalkeeper Gabriella Tassano to make it 1-1 heading into halftime.
 
The Sharks grabbed the lead in the 56th minute when senior Hi'ilani Thomas of Honolulu/Punahou, was in the right place at the right time. HPU senior midfielder Sara Romo of Elk Grove, Calif./Franklin sent a shot at Tassano that she knocked down for a save but did not hold. The ball went into a scrum of players at the goal mouth and came out to Thomas who put it in the net for the 2-1 lead.
 
The goal caused the Penguins to lift Tassano for Alyssa Ramos in goal.
 
HPU got an insurance goal in the 72nd minute when freshman Nina Gonzales of Palmdale, Calif./Knight capitalized on a pass from sophomore Maia Angell of Spokane, Wash./Lewis & Clark HS for her second goal of the year on a shot from the top of the 18-yard box.
 
The Sharks clinched it in the 76th minute when Romo scored by bending a corner kick from the right corner into the goal past Ramos for a 4-1 lead.
 
John picked up two saves with the goal allowed on the 10 Dominican shots. Tassano had four saves and two goals allowed for Dominican, while Ramos had two saves and two goals allowed as the pair faced 13 HPU shots.
 
The season is winding down as HPU visits Chaminade for its last road game of the year. The Sharks and Silverswords meet Saturday at St. Louis Field, with kickoff at 1 p.m.