WAIPAHU, Hawai'i – After falling behind early, Hawai'i Pacific University roared back with three unanswered goals to open PacWest Conference play with a 3-1 victory over Notre Dame de Namur on Friday night at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.
 
The Sharks (3-2-1, 1-0) clamped down defensively on the Argonauts (4-4, 1-1) after giving up the first goal.
 
Junior goalkeeper Jeremy Zielinski of Sunnyvale, Calif./Homestead faced just six Argo shots, only three on goal, with two saves and the goal allowed.
 
The Sharks peppered Argo keeper Javier Santana with 18 shots, as Santana notched eight saves to go with the three goals allowed.
 
Zielinski and the Sharks were nearly perfect, except for NDNU's first shot of the game. Giovanni Rodriguez lofted a pass to Anthony Andoyan who raced down the middle of the field on a breakaway. Zielinski came out to meet Andoyan at the top of the box, only to have Andoyan cut around the HPU keeper and toe poke the ball into the empty net in the eighth minute for the 1-0 NDNU lead..
 
The Sharks quickly woke up, answering the goal two minutes later when junior Ryo Hirayama of Fukuoka, Japan recovered a saved shot from senior Jair Espinoza of San Miguel Petapa, Guatemala/CSD Municipal and blasted it past Santana to tie the contest at 1-1.
 
HPU took the lead in the 40th minute when junior Garret Arzberger of Munich, Germany/Therese von Bayern found an open man in senior Luiz Garcia of Campo Grande, Brazil/Coligio Salesiano Dom Bosco on his left. Garcia completed the play for his third goal of the season that proved to be the game winner and put the Sharks up 2-1.
 
The second half was a rugged, physical battle that saw numerous medical stoppages and four cautions issued.
 
The Sharks iced the contest in the 61st minute as Espinoza took advantage of a ricocheted saved shot from senior Christian Porras of Rockville, Md./Rockville to go up 3-1.
 
Then it was the battle to the final horn against the total of 23 fouls by the Argos. HPU was whistled for nine.
 
The Sharks must quickly get ready for a second PacWest contest on Sunday, a rematch of last Saturday's contest with Hawai'i Hilo that HPU took 6-1. The game will be played at the Waipio Soccer Complex Field 5, force to the outer field due to maintenance issues with the stadium pitch. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., following the Sharks and Vulcans women's game at Noon.