WAIPAHU, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Pacific University senior Josch Cuerten chalked up the Sharks first hat trick of the season to pace the Sharks to a 3-0 PacWest Conference win over Hawai'i Hilo Saturday afternoon at the Waipio Soccer Complex.
 
The Sharks (4-4-2, 2-3-1) evened their season record with the win and kept the Vulcans (0-9, 0-6) winless on the year.
 
Cuerten broke open the game with two goals four minutes apart in the first half. The junior from Cologne, Germany teamed with senior Mario Garcia of Leganes, Spain for goals in the 40th and 44th minutes. In fact, the two tallies were nearly identical.
 
Garcia worked the ball down the left side, then rocketed a pass to a wide-open Cuerten who blasted it past Hilo keeper Joshua Jasper. The repeated play gave HPU a 2-0 lead at halftime.
 
The Vulcans changed keepers at the break to Nick Williams, but Cuerten lit the scoreboard one more time.
 
After a foul in the 56th minute, HPU's leading scorer collected his eighth goal of the season and his hat trick on the ensuing free kick when he sent a shot over the UHH wall and skipped it into the net for the 3-0 lead.
 
HPU senior goalkeeper Daniel Arnoll of Verrieres-le-Buisson, France, recorded his and the Sharks second straight shutout, posting three saves while facing 11 Vulcan shots. HPU also got a team save.
 
Jasper made three saves for the Vulcans while giving up the two first half goals, while Williams did not have a save in the final 45 minutes and allowed a goal.
 
The Sharks finished a three-game homestand with the victory and prepare for a three-game road trip that starts Wednesday when they visit Biola for a PacWest contest that kicks off at 4 p.m. HST (7 p.m. PDT).