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Just For Kicks
TWO Hawaii high school players who made early verbal commitments to play for Hawaii -- Erin Chow and Noelle Sugai -- signed national letters of intent last night. Two sign to
play for WahineAnother, Natasha Kai of Kahuku High School, was so focused on yesterday's state championship game, that she waited until today to sign.
Sugai, a center midfielder for Aiea, scored eight goals for Na Alii during the regular season.
She decided to play for the Wahine her junior year. Although she received recruiting letters from mainland schools, she didn't bother to answer.
"I just wanted to go to UH. I wanted to stay home and play in front of the home crowd," Sugai said.
Last summer she played for the Leahi 83 team that reached the quarterfinal round of the Surf Cup.
Sugai thinks she will be moved to left outside midfielder in college.
Chow, a 5-foot-11 goalkeeper from Moanalua High School, also cited staying home as an important factor in her decision.
"The incoming players get to play with players they know. It's a program that can be built up," Chow said. "It's a new defense, but I can learn it."
The Menehunes use a sweeper in their defense while UH has employed a flat back defense the past two seasons.
Chow plans to major in computer science.
"Erin understands defense, cuts off the angles well and is strong against the close-in attack," Moanalua head coach Joseph Rutkowski Jr. said.
Kai scored 18 goals during the regular season this year to lead the Oahu Interscholastic Association East.
"I thought about going to Loyola Marymount, but I'd rather stay closer to home," Kai said.
Blessed with outstanding speed, the Red Raiders' striker played primarily on the right side, but switched to the left at times.
Sarah Takekawa, a striker for Kailua High School, signed a national letter of intent yesterday to play for St. Mary's.
Takekawa visited the Moraga, Calif., campus on her own last summer and was taken with the lush surroundings, the relative seclusion and the peaceful atmosphere. Later she talked with Chelsea Montero, a defender for the Gaels from Kamehameha.
"Chelsea said she really loved the girls, how much it was a family and how my coach (Paul) Ratcliffe watched over them athletically and academically," Takekawa said.
"Sarah is a real good student, in the running to be valedictorian," said Surfriders head coach Wil Kimura. "She has track speed, in the low 12 seconds for the 100 meters and is a very hard worker."
Takekawa scored 10 of the Surfriders' 28 goals during the regular season.
"She can shoot pretty much with either foot, has a great sense of the goal and the drive to succeed," said Phil Neddo, who had Takekawa on his Honolulu Bulls team at last summer's Surf Cup.
At the Surf Cup, Neddo used Takekawa as a marking back and this not only surprised Ratcliffe, but convinced him to offer her a scholarship covering full tuition.
Takekawa has been an OIA East soccer first-team pick the past two years. She was the Surfriders' outstanding track athlete the last two springs.
Takekawa's GPA is 4.050 in the honors program and she plans to do something in the field of medicine.
The first two USA World Cup home final round qualifying matches, against Mexico Feb. 28 at Columbus, Ohio, and Costa Rica April 25 at Kansas City, will be televised by ESPN2.
