Just For Kicks

By Al Chase

Hawaii’s best awaiting
national pools

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Seven girls and four boys from Hawaii were selected for their Region IV age-division team pools following Olympic Development Program camps on the mainland in July.

Allison Lipsher, a goalkeeper, and defender Madison Perry are in the Under-17 pool. Mariko Strickland, a center midfielder, and striker Britta Bourne made the U-16 pool, and the U-15 pool has center midfielder Elizabeth Carlson, striker Samantha Teramae and defender Lindsey Watanabe.

The boys chosen are defender Stephen Carlson, U-18, center midfielder David Gauldarama, U-17 and defensive midfielder Ryan Bibilone II and striker Lokahi Bounds, U-16.

Strickland and Perry hail from Kauai, while the other players live on Oahu.

All 11 are eligible to be called to action by their regional coach for tournaments or trips over the next year. Coaches have from 36 to 60 players to choose from, depending on the age group.

The first opportunity to be called most likely will be for the Fall Interregional Tournament in Cocoa, Fla., Nov. 28 to Dec. 3.

Duke Hashimoto, a freshman striker at Southern Methodist, was named to the U.S. U-19 National Team pool following an invitation-only camp held in Los Angeles in July.

College talk

Robyn deHay will redshirt this year, her junior season, at Stanford.

"I'll need 20 credits to graduate after this year and I'm going to see if I can do that early and come back and play for Hawaii next year as a grad student," deHay said.

If not --and the Stanford degree comes first -- the Kamehameha product would return for the 2004 season.

Kenan Knieriem, a Punahou graduate and a plebe at the U.S. Naval Academy, has made the varsity men's team.

Several Hawaii players have given up playing college ball due to injuries. The Nevada Wolf Pack lost three players, all who have undergone at least two ACL knee surgerys.

Shanelle Piano (Mililani), who began her career at Hawaii Pacific, will finish her academic career at Hawaii. Morgan Kaya (Punahou), and Marcie Okumura (Iolani) will continue their academic work at Nevada.

The Wolf Pack still have Leisha Makinano (Iolani), a junior defender and a coaches preseason all-Western Athletic Conference selection, junior striker Kaula Rowe (Kamehameha), and freshman Amy Malinowski, a striker from St. Joseph.

Sarah Rothbaum (Punahou), suffered ACL injuries her first two years at Loyola Marymount. She won't play this season and will spend the upcoming spring semester studying sports medicine in Australia.

Seeking votes

Bob Barry has been nominated for the position of Secretary of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Executive Committee/Board of Directors.

Barry, who recently began his first season as the Willamette men's coach after 30-plus years coaching in the 50th State, has been a NSCAA member since 1970.

The election of officers takes place at the annual convention Jan. 15-19 in Kansas City.