Saturday, July 24, 1999

Wahine to play on campus

By Al Chase
Star-Bulletin

The University of Hawaii women's soccer team will play its home games on campus this season on the upper grass field next to the football practice field.

The Wahine's home games are played at Ala Wai Field. But the park, as well as the field, will be closed for renovations beginning the middle of August.

This left UH with few options. All home games now will start at 4 p.m., three hours earlier than standard starting time at Ala Wai the past few seasons.

Teams on the 1999 schedule were notified of this possibility earlier in the year.

The only other option on campus was Cooke Field, but it's not possible to have the minimum width (65 yards) for an NCAA-regulation field without using the running track.

Assistant athletic director Marilyn Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano hopes bleachers can be installed at the grass field. Makai campus coordinator Kyle Tengan said the athletic department has one portable section that might accommodate 50 fans.

"It's nicer to play when it's cool at 7 p.m., but we have to go with what we have available," said Wahine head coach Pinsoom Tenzing.

The move, expected to last just for the 1999 season, comes after UH's first winning season, when the Wahine averaged 523 fans (6,277 total) at the City & County facility. There has been a gradual but steady increase in the family-oriented crowds following the Wahine since a little more than 160 people per game turned out in the program's first collegiate season in 1994.

"There will be new fencing installed around the field. We'll be making the lighted field and the other field Diamond Head of the lighted field ADA (American Disabilities Act) accessible," said Ala Wai Park director Rodney Kochiyama.

HAWAII WAHINE 1999 SCHEDULE Aug. 28: vs. Alumnae, 10 a.m.; Sept. 3: vs. Hawaii Pacific; Sept. 5: vs. St. Mary's (Calif.); Sept. 9: vs. Stanford; Sept. 11: vs. Weber State; Sept. 13: vs. San Francisco; Sept. 17: vs. Oral Roberts; Sept. 24: at Portland State; Sept. 26: at Portland; Oct. 1: at Cal State Sacramento; Oct. 3: vs. Eastern Washington-x; Oct. 4: vs. Denver-x; Oct. 8: at Fresno State (WAC); Oct. 10: at San Jose State (WAC); Oct. 11: at Cal State Hayward; Oct. 15: vs. Tulsa (WAC); Oct. 17: vs. Texas-El Paso (WAC); Oct. 22: at Southern Methodist (WAC); Oct. 24: at Texas Christian (WAC); Oct. 25: at Texas Wesleyan; Oct. 29: vs. Hawaii Pacific x-At Sacramento, Calif. Home games at UH's upper grass field, 4 p.m., unless noted.