Chance Bukoski, a former Kapa‘a High School soccer standout, scored 18 goals and passed off eight assists to help lead Hawai‘i Pacific to a successful season, finishing as PacWest co-champions with a 14-4 overall record, 10-2 in conference play. HPU
Chance Bukoski, a former Kapa‘a High School soccer standout, scored 18 goals and passed off eight assists to help lead Hawai‘i Pacific to a successful season, finishing as PacWest co-champions with a 14-4 overall record, 10-2 in conference play.
HPU also was ranked 8th in the final NCAA West Region Rankings, states an HPU release.
“It feels great to finally get a PacWest Championship,” said HPU Head Coach Chris Fisher. “Second place was getting old. We’ll take the co-championship. It is a relief, but now the feeling is what could we have done differently to get into the NCAA tournament. We were most likely one win away.”
Bukoski’s finish ranked him second in the nation in total goals and third in the country in goals per game, points per game and total points.
On the other side of the ball, HPU’s defense finished third in the nation in shutout percentage.
Bukoski’s showing in the HPU offense earned the senior a Daktronics First-Team All-American, Wednesday, an honor selected by sports information directors from NCAA Division II schools.
“I guess you can say this has been a ride for me,” Bukoski said in an email. “Coming from the little island of Kaua‘i, defying odds of tearing my ACL and had nowhere to go for college, ending at HPU and doing something big. It’s been a blessing. I cherish all the memories of playing when I was little, playing for my soccer club in Anahola, playing for Motiv8, and meeting all sorts of people through soccer.”
In earning the award, Bukoski was described as “the cornerstone of this year’s team which won the PacWest Championship.”
En route to the Daktronics All-American award, Bukoski was named to the All-PacWest and All-Region first teams, also bestowed with the honor of PacWest Player of the Year.
The Honolulu Quarterback Club selected Bukoski the Male Sportsperson of the Month for October.
“Chance is a talent which HPU was lucky to keep in Hawai‘i,” Fisher said. “His numbers speak for themselves. He is the all-time PacWest leading scorer. He also put HPU Men’s Soccer on the map. He will be very hard to replace. Chance will represent HPU and Hawai‘i well as he continues his soccer journey.”
The Kaua‘i native goes down as one of the greatest Sea Warriors, ever, states the HPU release, making the All-PacWest First Team in all four years as a Sea Warrior.
During his career at HPU, Bukoski scored 51 goals, including his career-high 18 this past season. He also posted 22 assists for his career.
Bukoski said his plans for the future is to try and play pro (soccer), either for the MLS or in Europe.
“I’m actually taking online courses next semester to be able to try out and travel,” Bukoski said. “I have a few combines which I have been invited to and some agents wanted to talk about sending me to Europe.”
He said his is excited about what the future holds following his graduation in the fall of 2012 with a Business Management degree.
“I’m excited where the future could take me and where I could end up,” the HPU senior said. “I feel that where I started by career was back when I was little, getting into trouble and being kolohe in elementary school, now finishing college and pursuing goals of becoming a professional soccer player. ”
Bukoski said he wants people to know it does not matter where you come from, if you have the passion and are willing to sacrifice, anything is possible.
“I love Kaua‘i,” he said. “I love representing my island; I love the laid-back personality and I love the people. It makes me proud. I just want to thank God, my family, friends, team mates, coaches and people who have helped me on, and off the field.”
