SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – The Hawaii Pacific University men's soccer team saw its postseason run come to an end Saturday afternoon, falling 3-2 to Westmont College in the Pacific West Conference Championship final at Kennelly Field. Despite a two-goal performance from Kelly Takara, the Sharks were unable to overcome a second-half surge from the Warriors, concluding their season with a 9-6-3 overall record.
The opening half featured a defensive battle as both teams looked to establish momentum. Westmont generated six shots in the first 45 minutes, while HPU recorded two attempts. The Warriors nearly broke through in the sixth minute when Julius Oehmichen struck the right post, but the Sharks kept the match scoreless heading into halftime. Goalkeeper Eduardo Marin made a save in the 30th minute to help preserve the 0-0 deadlock.
Westmont broke through in the 60th minute when Cash Anderholt found the back of the net off assists from Tiago Aranibar and Oehmichen. The Warriors extended their advantage in the 68th minute as Weston Ash scored off a feed from Micah Maljian, putting HPU in a 2-0 deficit with just over 22 minutes remaining.
The Sharks responded almost immediately, as Takara scored his first goal of the afternoon in the 70th minute to cut the deficit to 2-1. However, Westmont answered in the 75th minute when Luis Cortes scored off an assist from Aranibar to restore the Warriors' two-goal advantage. HPU continued to battle, and Takara delivered his second goal in the 83rd minute, assisted by Olle Ridelius, bringing the Sharks within one with less than eight minutes remaining. Despite the late push, Westmont held on to secure the 3-2 victory.
Takara led the Sharks offensively with two goals on four shots, including two shots on goal. Ridelius contributed an assist, while Paul Norberg recorded a shot on target. Westmont finished with a 14-8 advantage in total shots, while HPU held a 3-1 edge in corner kicks. Marin played all 90 minutes in goal for the Sharks, recording one save.
Hawaii Pacific concludes its 2026 campaign with a 9-6-3 overall record after earning a share of the PacWest regular-season championship and securing the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. The Sharks' season was highlighted by seven All-PacWest selections and three major conference awards, including Coach of the Year Chris Fisher, Defender of the Year Alexander Arguijo and Goalkeeper of the Year Eduardo Marin.
