Wahine 1 win from
WAC berth
The Hawaii women's soccer team needs one win in its regular-season ending road trip to assure itself of a berth in the Western Athletic Conference postseason tournament at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park next month.
Victories at Fresno State tomorrow and at San Jose State on Sunday probably would mean the Rainbow Wahine finish second and earn a first-round bye in the tournament, but that depends on other conference results the next two weeks.
Should UH finish tied for second with either Rice or Boise State, the Wahine own the tiebreaker, having defeated those teams. If they end tied with Texas-El Paso, the Miners win the tiebreaker.
The top six teams qualify for the tournament, Nov. 4-6.
The priority for the Wahine (11-4-2, 4-2 WAC) is conference road wins, something that has escaped them this year. They will have to do it without the depth, whittled away by injuries, they enjoyed earlier in the season.
Sophomore striker Krisha Kai has not played in four matches due to a strained knee and will not make the trip.
Starting goalkeeper Mahie Atay, who suffered a third concussion in the UTEP match Oct. 10, has not been cleared to play and will stay home.
Coach Pinsoom Tenzing received more bad news Monday when freshman Gabrielle Bohlman, tied for second in points with three goals and four assists, was declared out for the season with a bruised liver.
Bohlman, who had two assists against Nevada last Friday, has done a remarkable job as a striker and outside right midfielder and will be missed. She was injured in the second half of the Boise State game when she was chasing a through ball. Boise State goalkeeper Kim Parker came out of the box to clear the ball, but in doing so, flew through the air and hit Bohlman in the stomach with her knees and feet.
"Gabrielle is an invaluable player, There was nothing vicious about it. It was just a terrible accident," said Tenzing.
"I've got more bad news. Kelly McCloskey sprained an ankle in practice Tuesday and is doubtful for Friday. And, Kalena Eaton came down with a 103 temperature, has the flu and won't make the trip. We're getting kicked in the butt where it hurts."
McCloskey and Eaton are midfielders and Tenzing is running out of options when it comes to the outside right midfield position.
"This team is pretty beat up," said UH trainer Jayson Goo.
Hawaii leads the Fresno State (4-7-3, 1-2-2) series 4-3-1, has won the last three meetings but has triumphed just once in four matches in Bulldog Stadium.
The Bulldogs were shut out 2-0 at San Jose State in their only match last week. They celebrate Senior Night tomorrow.
Sophomore striker Cortney Sobrero is FSU's top scorer with 10 goals and two assists. Kortney Lewis, a junior striker, has four goals and four assists.
Tenzing does not look forward to playing at FSU, where the field is long, narrow and crowned (some 18 inches higher in the middle), but says the San Jose Soccer Stadium, where the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer play, is flat and fair.
Notes: The Wahine appeared in the Soccer Buzz West Region Rankings for the seventh consecutive week, advancing two places to No. 13. ... UH concludes the road trip with a nonconference match at San Francisco on Tuesday. ... Natasha Kai is two short of breaking the WAC single-season record for shots (108) set by Shauna Rohbock (Brigham Young, 1996).
