The Hawaii women's soccer team plays 12 of its 19 regular-season matches at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park this season, double the number the Wahine played at home a year ago. Rainbow Wahine increase
2002 Schedule
number of Waipio contestsBy Al Chase
achase@starbulletin.com
"We've been trying to play more games at home," said UH coach Pinsoom Tenzing. "Expense is one consideration and the other is the facility we use which is way better than anything we play in on the mainland."
STAR-BULLETIN / 2000
Arlene Devitt will be one of Hawaii’s top returnees this fall.
The Wahine play an exhibition match against the Douglas College Royals of New Westminister, B.C., Aug. 22, then open the season the following week in the Ohana Hotels & Resorts No Ka Oi Tournament against Alabama-Birmingham and Wyoming.
The Blazers were 11-9 overall, 7-3 in Conference USA a year ago. They were the third most improved team on the annual list compiled by Soccer Buzz at the NCAA Division I level.
The Cowgirls were 4-11-3 in 2001 and finished last in the Mountain West Conference.
Hawaii then makes its only nonconference road trip, playing Oregon State Sept. 6 and UC Riverside Sept. 8. Tenzing limited the road trip to two matches because the team did not fare well in the last of three-game road trips a year ago.
"The third game is just too much," he said. "We decided we would keep everyone fit, get ready for the WAC, win the tournament and go to the NCAA tournament."
The Wahine return home for six matches against nonleague foes in preparation for the Western Athletic Conference season.
The Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Soccer Classic features UCLA and San Francisco with the two visitors playing the first match Sept. 13. UH then plays USF the next night and UCLA Sept. 15.
The Bruins were 20-3 a year ago, reached the quarterfinal round of the NCAA tournament before losing to Florida 1-0 in double overtime. They finished ranked No. 5 in the country.
The Lady Dons compiled a 9-10-1 record after losing four of their last five matches.
The Long Island University Blackbirds and Long Beach State 49ers provide the opposition in the third tournament of the season, the Ohana Hotels & Resorts Shootout. Hawaii opens with LIU Sept. 19 and closes with the 49ers Sept. 23 while the visitors play Sept. 21.
The Blackbirds finished in a three-way tie for seventh place in the 11-team Northeast Conference with a 3-7 record (4-12 overall).
Long Beach compiled a similar overall record, 4-11-2, and tied for sixth in the Big West Conference with a 3-5-1 record.
Weber State takes on Hawaii Sept. 27 and 29. The Wildcats finished first in the Big Sky Conference race with a 5-0 record, but were upset in the conference tournament championship by Idaho State.
The Wildcats ended the season at 10-8-1 and missed the NCAA tournament.
A team from upstate New York, which committed to a tournament the week of September a year and a half ago, pulled out citing 9/11.
The Wahine then have an 11-day break before opening the WAC campaign with home matches against Tulsa and Rice the second weekend of October.
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Aug. 22: Douglas College, 7 p.m. (exhibition) 2002 Wahine Schedule
Aug. 30: Alabama -Birmingham, 7 p.m.
Sept. 1: Wyoming, 5 p.m.
Sept. 6: at Oregon State
Sept. 8: at UC Riverside
Sept. 14: San Francisco, 7 p.m.
Sept. 15: UCLA, 5 p.m.
Sept. 19: Long Island U., 7 p.m.
Sept. 23: Long Beach State, 5 p.m.
Sept. 27: Weber State, 7 p.m.
Sept. 29: Weber State, 5 p.m.
Oct. 11: Tulsa, 7 p.m.
Oct. 13: Rice, 5 p.m.
Oct. 18: at Texas-El Paso
Oct. 20: at Southern Methodist
Oct. 21: at Texas Christian
Oct. 25: Boise State, 7 p.m.
Oct. 27: Nevada, 5 p.m.
Nov. 1: at San Jose State
Nov. 3: at Fresno State
Nov. 7-10: WAC Tournament
