The Hawaii soccer team still has a chance to finish second in the Western Athletic Conference, but only if three match results go in the Rainbow Wahine's favor this weekend. Wahine in the hunt
for first-round byeBy Al Chase
achase@starbulletin.comFinishing second in the WAC would give the Wahine a first-round bye in the conference tournament next week.
The first order of business for Hawaii is to win its matches against San Jose State tomorrow and Fresno State on Sunday. Then, the Wahine need league leader Texas-El Paso to defeat second-place Southern Methodist tomorrow night in a match at Dallas.
Hawaii is 1-2 in matches at San Jose State and 0-3 at Fresno, where it has been outscored 8-1. Both matches are being played on fields much smaller than the stadium pitch at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park. The Wahine will have to adjust to that and to the football markings on the field at Bulldog Stadium.
The Spartans (3-12-3, 1-4-2 WAC) are one of four teams fighting for the sixth and final conference tournament berth.
"They (Spartans) are going to be bunkered down in their own half of the field. They have been playing this way and have had some success," said Hawaii coach Pinsoom Tenzing. "Our kids can't get frustrated by the San Jose defense and lose focus when the Spartans counterattack."
Tenzing would like to see early goals by his strikers like they produced against Boise State and Nevada last week. This allows the ninth-year coach to make liberal use of his bench, especially to rest those players who are nursing nagging injuries.
Hawaii will be without striker Arlene Devitt, its second-leading scorer, who has to sit out the SJSU match after accumulating five yellow cards.
Tenzing called the yellow card Devitt received in the Nevada match for shirt pulling preposterous.
"It wasn't even a serious shirt pulling and the ball was long gone. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind the referees get together and say you have to control the game by watching this kid."
Tenzing hasn't decided who will replace Devitt.
"We're a very deep team and have kids who can play all over. Mia Moe is an excellent striker and Pam Fong has done well up top recently," said Tenzing. "Tia Medeiros or Seline Williams, who has been playing well, can move into the midfield. We have options."
Fresno State is coming off a 2-1 victory over No. 24 Cal State Fullerton. Kaiser graduate Erin Sayegusa scored the winning goal, her third game-winner of the season.
FSU coach Stacy Welp has proclaimed throughout the season that the Bulldogs' 1-9 start against a tough nonconference schedule would pay dividends when WAC play started. The Bulldogs (7-11-0, 5-2-0 WAC) have won five consecutive matches and will celebrate senior day against the Wahine.
"We intend to prove her wrong, although they are a well-organized team," said Tenzing.
Notes: UH left back Krystalynn Ontai has accumulated four yellow cards and can't afford another one if she wants to play in the remainder of the matches. Tenzing says he can live with that because Ontai's cards come from aggressive play. ... Hawaii will stay on the mainland and travel to Houston on Monday for the WAC tournament hosted by Rice.
UH Athletics
