[ UH SOCCER ]
Wahine will be
tested by national
runner-up
Hawaii soccer coach Pinsoom Tenzing has crafted a demanding regular-season schedule, but the Rainbow Wahine will have to get through one of their toughest opponents before it even starts.
Hawaii opens the preseason with a scrimmage against national runner-up Santa Clara Aug. 21 at the Waipio Peninsula Park Stadium. The Broncos were the national champions in 2001, but did not defend their title last year, losing to Portland in double overtime. Soccer Buzz magazine ranks coach Jerry Smith's 2003 recruiting class the best in the nation.
"They certainly are the best team in the nation, streets ahead of any other team in the nation in terms of the quality soccer they play," said Tenzing. "It will be a wonderful yardstick for us. What people should look for is the quality of soccer they play."
The match is a scrimmage because it is before the official NCAA start date (Aug. 29) of the soccer season, but it will count against UH's 20-match limit. The Wahine open the season against Arizona State in the Ohana Hotels and Resorts No Ka Oi Tournament.
The Sun Devils are coming off a 12-7-2 season that ended with a loss to Santa Clara in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Coach Ray Leone's 2003 recruiting class was ranked No. 9 by Soccer America.
ASU is led by defender Amy LePeilbet and midfielder Manya Makoski, both members of the United States Under-21 National Team.
Hawaii also plays Bowling Green State on opening weekend. The Falcons advanced to the semifinal round of the Mid-American Conference tournament, finishing with a 12-8-2 record.
The first road trip has the Rainbow Wahine playing three Big West Conference teams in Southern California. In four days they play Cal State Northridge (3-13-2), Long Beach State (6-9-5) and UC Riverside (10-8-1).
They return home to play Utah Valley State (7-8-1) from Orem, Utah, in its first season at the Division I level, and Morehead State of the Ohio Valley Conference, in the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Classic.
Morehead State was 2-12-1 a year ago and expects to return nine starters.
The final nonconference home opponent is Cornell from the Ivy League. The Big Red reached the championship game of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament a year ago before losing to St. John's on penalty kicks to finish with a 9-6-2 record.
Hawaii, picked to finish second in the Western Athletic Conference coaches preseason poll, open the league schedule at Rice on Sept. 26. The Owls, who upset the Wahine in the first round of the WAC postseason tournament last fall, return a seasoned squad that could challenge for the conference title.
The league home opener is against defending WAC champion Southern Methodist, Oct. 3.
The Wahine have two nonconference road matches during the WAC season.
They play Oral Roberts on Sept. 29 and Idaho State on Oct. 13, each time a day after a WAC match. ORU is the defending Mid-Continent Conference champion and had a 13-6-2 record last year.
The Idaho State Bengals are the defending Big Sky Conference regular-season and postseason tournament champs.
The final home match is against Brigham Young, winners of four consecutive Mountain West Conference titles. The Cougars (16-6-0) return nine starters.
"No team in Division I is easy. Everyone has scholarships to give recruits," said Tenzing. "ASU is exceedingly strong. BYU historically has a very strong team, so it's a really tough schedule."
2003 schedule
a -- Denotes WAC match
Aug. 21: Santa Clara, 7 p.m. (preseason scrimmage).
Aug. 29: Arizona State, 7 p.m.
Aug. 31: Bowling Green, 5 p.m.
Sept. 5: at Cal State Northridge
Sept. 7: at Long Beach State
Sept. 8: at Cal State Riverside
Sept. 13: Utah Valley State, 7 p.m.
Sept. 14: Morehead State, 5 p.m.
Sept. 20: Cornell, 7 p.m.
Sept. 26: at Rice (a)
Sept. 28: at Tulsa (a)
Sept. 29: at Oral Roberts
Oct. 3: Southern Methodist (a), 7 p.m.
Oct. 5: Texas-El Paso (a), 5 p.m.
Oct. 10: at Nevada-Reno (a)
Oct. 12: at Boise State (a)
Oct. 13: at Idaho State
Oct. 17: Fresno State (a), 7 p.m.
Oct. 19: San Jose State (a), 5 p.m.
Oct. 25: Alumnae (exhibition), 10 a.m., campus field.
Oct. 27: Brigham Young, 7 p.m.
Home matches at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park Stadium unless noted.
