RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Wahine senior Mia Moe gets help from her extended family to balance playing and raising twins.
Moe is more
than a midfielder
Juggling a soccer ball is easy for Mia Moe. Juggling school, soccer and a family life that has as its centerpiece twin daughters Lia and Tia is a different skill altogether.
Wahine soccer
What: Ohana Hotels & Resorts No Ka OiWho: Hawaii, Arizona State and Bowling Green
When: Today, Hawaii vs. Arizona State, 7 p.m. Tomorrow, Bowling Green vs. Arizona State, 7 p.m. Sunday, Hawaii vs. Bowling Green, 5 p.m.
Where: Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park Stadium
TV, radio: None.
Admission/parking: Free.
After giving birth two summers ago, Moe had doubts about whether she would play collegiate soccer again, let alone have everything in place for her senior season with the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine, which begins tonight against Arizona State.
"This past summer I had to pass five classes to stay eligible. I wanted to stay home with my daughters, but I didn't want to get out of the (education) loop. I want to finish my education so I can be a better provider for my daughters," said Moe.
The Wahine midfielder played her first two years of college ball at Loyola Marymount following her 1999 graduation from Punahou. She earned All-West Coast Conference honorable mention honors as a freshman, but transferred to UH after her sophomore season.
She redshirted in 2001.
"It was a nice transition, having that redshirt year. It gave me time to adjust to having a family life," said Moe who returned to the playing field for UH last season.
She had to battle to regain her strength. Since she was carrying twins, her doctor considered her to be high risk and did not allow her to work out the last four months of her pregnancy.
"The hard part came the second year, when one of my daughters got pneumonia, then the other one got sick, then I got sick. It just went in a circle and I started to wonder if I would make it to the next semester," said Moe.
Moe says she is lucky to have a big extended family that includes high school friends who have finished college, her husband, his cousin and her parents -- who have all helped care for her daughters.
It took time for her to get into soccer shape. Her weight, down to 115 after giving birth, has slowly built up as she regained muscle the past two years.
"It was about the third or fourth match last year that I started really feeling good physically. The other part was putting the skills back together, especially since I'm my worst critic," said Moe. "I remember every single play I make in a game. If I make three bad passes, that's all I think about and I get frustrated when I don't think I had a good game."
She started 17 of 18 matches for UH a year ago, took 14 shots, scored four goals and had three assists. Still, Moe did not feel like she had put everything together until the final three matches.
"It didn't come as fast as I wanted it to," she said.
Moe's play this fall has been noticed by the coaches.
"Mia is someone you can build a team around. She is vital," said head coach Pinsoom Tenzing.
"I've been impressed with her play," said first-year assistant Bob Barry. "If we have success this year, Mia is going to be a big reason why."
All those late-night workouts on the Nordic Track and jumping rope this past summer paid off. Moe came back this fall actually looking forward to the two-a-day practices. She wanted to go to practice because she knew it was the final chance to push herself to get in top shape.
UH Athletics
