The disappointment will eventually dissipate for the Hawaii Wahine soccer team coaches and players. Wahine go through growing
pains in 10-win seasonBy Al Chase
achase@starbulletin.comThe season-ending loss to Rice in the Western Athletic Conference tournament hurt. It came at a point in the season when the team was clicking, riding a five-match win streak. The Wahine had posted two consecutive road shutouts just prior to the tournament, something not accomplished since 1996.
Seven of the 11 starters against the Owls were freshmen or sophomores. Youth was not served that night.
Before the season began, Hawaii coach Pinsoom Tenzing said, "This is the team I've been waiting for."
The Wahine had better size, speed up front, three competent goalkeepers, defenders that quickly became a cohesive unit and a wealth of midfielders.
"We had and still have all the parts. We won't be losing much and this year of experience will do us all a lot of good," said Tenzing.
"To have a championship team everything has to jive and this year it didn't. I can give you a few things that factored into that. One was the injuries throughout the season. Two, we had to play the last three games, very important games, on the road. Three, our inability to deal with hostile crowds.
"That is a growing-up process. Lip service won't do it. We really have to understand what they (hostile crowds) are trying to do. Then we should be able to combat it, but, with 17-, 18- and 19-year olds, no amount of counseling from us takes away the effects 100 percent."
Hawaii started the season with a 2-5-2 record that included four losses by a goal and two on a goal in the last two minutes of regulation.
Then, as players returned from injuries and the new offense won acceptance, the Wahine won eight of their last 10 matches prior to the WAC tournament. They outscored opponents 30-9 during that stretch and finished tied for second in the conference's regular-season standings.
"We had a little trouble trying to convince the team to play a different way, to convince them we had kids who can run really fast and can finish if they get the ball," said Tenzing.
"It may not have been as easy to watch as years past, but the transition wasn't as rough as I expected.
"I was pleased with the number of shots we took and the number of goals we scored. The chemistry of the kids playing together was a quantum leap in quality from years before.
"The younger kids accepted the amount of playing time they got. When a youngster comes in and has been a superstar in high school of with a club team, that situation is not always positive."
Tenzing was not surprised by his players' exploits. He had recruited most of them and seen them play often. What surprised him was the contributions and the positive attitude of the players who saw little action and did not go to the WAC tournament.
"They (Ashley Chaffin, Kelly McCloskey, Jizelle Yates and Michelle Gamache) are quality kids and contributed a lot to the success of this team. They weren't chopped liver out there on the field," Tenzing said.
Hawaii finished with a 10-8-2 record, the fourth winning season in the last five. Yet, the program has yet to define itself by winning a WAC title and advancing to the NCAA tournament.
There are not a lot of needs for the 2003 season. The offense, led by WAC Player of the Year Natasha Kai and Arlene Devitt, averaged 2.45 goal per match, the first time in team history the 2.00 barrier has been broken in a season. There are players who can fill the right back position vacated by Noelle Takemoto.
Tenzing mentioned needing a magical center midfielder next year who plays the way Mia Moe did at the end of the season.
"I felt we made the transition (to the new-style offense) late in the season. It was accepted philosophically although not everyone has the abilities the new system demands," said Tenzing. "We can deal with the technical aspects. I think we can only get better with it.
"I'm happy with the season. It was a very successful season taking everything into consideration."
Note: NCAA tournament participants Arizona State and Kentucky are on the 2003 schedule.
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