Pacific connection

Azusa Pacific's women's soccer team, which has had nine years of success recruiting in the South Pacific, has four players from Hawaii

THERE has been a strong connection between Hawaii and the Azusa Pacific women's soccer team the past nine years.

This year, Cougars coach Jason Surrell has received a lot of quality minutes from Jolie Nitta, Taryn Apo and Sarah Yoro.

Mari Kasamoto (Iolani '03) had her fourth season with the Cougars cut short when the midfielder/striker tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in the second match of the season and had surgery Oct. 5.

"I went in for a tackle. The next step I took I felt the knee go outward. It wasn't painful, but a really, really weird feeling. The next step was a hop and I sat down," Kasamoto said.

Surrell said, "Mari had the experience of playing in the nationals. She was consistent and worked hard. It definitely hurts us losing her."

Apo and Nitta were honored on "Senior Day" after Tuesday's 4-0 win over Fresno Pacific that improved the Cougars' record to 14-1. Nitta scored the first goal at 20:04.

Nitta (Mililani '02) visited several other Golden State Athletic Conference schools before choosing APU.

"I knew I wanted to go away for experience, but didn't want to go further than California. I wanted a small Christian school," said Nitta who started all 20 matches and was third on the team with 15 points (6 goals, 3 assists) as a freshman.

After her freshman year, Nitta was very homesick, found herself unhappy too many days and transferred to Hawaii after the fall semester.

"I had no intention of going back, but I kept in touch with coach Surrell on a personal basis," said Nitta who spent three semesters at Manoa.

"I felt stagnant, living at home, going to school, going back home. Those unique experiences you have when you go away were missing. I don't know why I chose to come back to the same place I didn't like, but I was led back to it," Nitta said.

The center midfielder returned in the fall of 2004, but broke her left leg in the eighth match. Nitta came back last year to play in 22 matches, score four goals, all game-winners, and assist on four others.

"Jolie is one of our leaders on the field, not vocally, but in terms of what she does for her team. She is one of those kids you kind of let go and let her do her own thing," Surrell said.

"Her strength is her technical ability, what she does with the ball when running at people. She is pretty special with the ball."

Nitta, who has started 37 consecutive matches, is third in scoring with five goals and a team-leading six assists for 16 points.

APO (Baldwin '03) returned to the Cougars this year after not playing her sophomore and junior seasons.

"I watched every game the years I didn't play. Last year I really found that I just missed it. I missed soccer, but I missed my teammates -- of having 20 sisters -- more."

During her two-year hiatus, Apo played intramural soccer and last year was the editor of the school newspaper, The Clause. A MEL Scholar (multi-ethnic leadership), she also is active raising awareness of ethnic and social diversity on campus.

"I was really nervous coming into the season, but once we started going, it all started to come back," said Apo, a striker who didn't expect to start, but has come off the bench in all 14 matches this year.

"Taryn missed two years, but she makes things happen when she is in there," Surrell said. "She is a neat kid, has been a pleasant surprise and I'm more than surprised at how well she has done since coming back. She is mentally stronger."

SAYING LAST SPRING she thought it would be a better fit, Yoro (Mililani '05) transferred to APU this fall after playing in 12 matches as a reserve for the Oregon Ducks last year.

"The atmosphere of the school itself is better. As for the team, these are girls who know what I'm going through on the field and in my personal life with my first walk with God. They keep me accountable and are very supportive," Yoro said.

"I've gone from a campus with 20,000 students to one with 4,000. I feel more successful here. I'm enjoying it a million times better than I could have imagined."

Yoro, who scored APU's second goal Tuesday in the 59th minute, is fourth in scoring with 13 points on five goals and three assists.

"Sarah has about as much athleticism as we've ever had. She is still learning the game a little bit, but is a Division I level player and we're lucky enough to have her with us," Surrell said.

Yoro plays outside left midfield when Surrell uses two strikers and moves up top when he plays three.

AZUSA PACIFIC, the No 2-ranked team in the latest NAIA poll, can clinch the GSAC title with a win tomorrow over Concordia. The Cougars open NAIA regional play next Tuesday.

Nitta will graduate in December with a degree in psychology. She has applied to the UH graduate school and plans to study for a masters in special education.

Apo will earn her degree in communication studies with an emphasis on journalism in May. She would like to work for a magazine.

Kasamoto, a liberal studies major with a science concentration and a psychology minor, also will graduate in May. She plans to study occupational therapy in graduate school. She debated starting next summer or using her medical hardship year to play another season for the Cougars, and on Monday, decided on the latter.

Yoro is majoring in communications with an emphasis on journalism and is leaning toward broadcast journalism as a career choice.