Just For Kicks
Hawaii rewrites record book
THE Hawaii soccer team rewrote the record book with 21 entries.
Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year Natasha Kai accounted for 10 marks.
The freshman from Kahuku set records for shots in a match (14), and goals (16), points (37) and shots (105) in a season, which are also freshman records in the UH record book. She also set records for consecutive matches scoring a goal (four), game-winning goals (five) and game-winning assists in a season.
Erin Quattromani, a senior midfielder, now holds the record for assists (nine) in a season and consecutive matches (four) with an assist.
Carmen Calpo created a new high for freshman assists (six).
Striker Arlene Devitt added to her team-best career totals for shots (186), goals (29), assists (16) and points (74).
The Wahine also put improved numbers next to team marks for shots in a match (42) and shots (377), goals (49) and assists (53) in a season.
Five records were tied. Kai's two hat tricks equaled the standard for most goals (three) and points (six) in a match. Quattromani tied the mark for assists in a match with three against Tulsa. Devitt and Kai each have five career game-winning assists to draw even with Wendy Miyashiro (1996-98) and Jennifer Starsiak (1998-01). Goalkeeper Mahie Atay's four solo shutouts equals the number posted by Demarre Sanchez in 1999 and 2000.
College notes
Rosana Estes, a sophomore midfielder/defender from Waimea, started four and played in 15 matches for the Oregon Institute of Technology. One of her three shots on goal hit the net for her only points of the season. The Owls (8-10-0, 5-9-0) finished seventh in the nine-team Cascade Conference.Mitchell Fu, a freshman midfielder from Maryknoll who played for Pac-Five, started 17 matches for the Cascade College Thunderbirds and scored one goal. The Thunderbirds were 6-12-0, 4-8-0 and finished tied for fifth in the Cascade Conference, which has seven men's teams.
Graham Kovarika, a 6-foot goalkeeper from Kapaa, was a Thunderbird redshirt this year.
Two Hawaii players competed for North Coast Athletic Conference teams, an NCAA Division III league in the Midwest.
Chelsea Wallis contributed two assists for the 7-10-2 Oberlin College Yeowomen. Wallis is a junior midfielder from Kapaa and played in all 18 matches.
Eaton O'Neil, a freshman striker from Iolani, scored three goals, including one match winner, on 12 shots for the Denison Big Red (10-7-2). He saw action in 17 matches with two starting assignments.
The numbers
There were 285 Division I schools with women's soccer teams this year. Playing for the first time were Austin Peay, Delaware State, Drake, Gardner-Webb, Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne, Jackson State and Prairie View A&M.League champion Southern Methodist was the only Western Athletic Conference school to make the 64-team Women's College Cup field. Runner-up Texas-El Paso (16-3-0) did not receive an at-large berth.
My guess as to why the Miners stayed home is a not-very-strong nonconference schedule and the composite record of WAC teams against the rest of this year's NCAA field -- 2-13-1.
Just for Kicks runs every other Sunday in the Star-Bulletin.Al Chase can be reached at achase@starbulletin.com