LIHU‘E — The Hawai‘i Pacific University men’s soccer program and Kaua‘i seem to be doing well by one another. With both Chance Bukoski and Ikaika Fuerte being named to the All Pacific West soccer First Team, it appears some of
LIHU‘E — The Hawai‘i Pacific University men’s soccer program and Kaua‘i seem to be doing well by one another.
With both Chance Bukoski and Ikaika Fuerte being named to the All Pacific West soccer First Team, it appears some of the area’s top talent is heading to the Sea Warriors program in an effort to make the squad a national power.
They seem to be off to a good start, as the team put together a 13-2-2 overall record and a 10-2-2 mark in the PacWest this season, good for a second-place finish.
Bukoski, who finished second in the league in goals scored, was named to the First Team for his second time in two years at HPU. The sophomore felt that maintaining his status as a first-teamer was the only way to approach this past season.
“It was one of my goals before the year,” he said. “You don’t want to go down, I knew I needed to get better and improve.”
Bukoski is the offensive leader of the team, while teammate Fuerte has become one of its most reliable midfielders and stepped up as a playmaker in this, just his freshman season at HPU.
Both Bukoski and Fuerte came out of the Kapa‘a High School program over the past two years — Bukoski in 2008, Fuerte this past spring.
That friendship and knowledge was helpful in bringing Fuerte to the Sea Warriors this fall.
“We’ve been playing together since we were about eight,” Bukoski said of he and Fuerte.
So when he heard his coaches were looking for input on where to look for possible recruits, Bukoski knew one direction to point them.
These two have now taken their games from the quiet fields of Kaua‘i to a program potentially on the verge of national prominence. That familiarity means a lot to a team that is built on young talent. There is less time spent on simply learning each other’s styles and more on execution.
One setback could be the loss of head coach Scott Liedtke, who stepped down from his position shortly after the season ended, citing his increasing commitment to the Le Jardin soccer academy.
“Whether it has been as a player, supporter, or coach, I have been affiliated with the HPU men’s soccer program for 17 years and HPU will always be important to me,” said Liedtke in a statement after his announcement.
But Bukoski doesn’t feel the change will be too much for the team to overcome.
“He has to do what he has to do and to support his family,” he said.
The likely solution will be the promotion of an assistant coach familiar with the program and the team’s philosophy.
“It’s not going to be a big change to the program,” he said.
Though he is a bit unsure of how the coaching change will effect recruiting, Bukoski has sensed a very positive change in how the HPU program is being viewed by other players around the islands.
“There’s a buzz going around,” he said. “Like some people will say ‘Oh, you play at HPU.’”
No matter who is in charge, the team’s goal is still to put themselves in a position to win an NCAA title. If they continue to bring in local talent eager to succeed, that goal may just be within reach.
