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Just For Kicks Al Chase |
Boxers’ roster is truly
pacific in soccerThe Pacific University (Forest Grove, Ore.) women's soccer team received 61 percent of its offense from former Hawaii prep players en route to an 11-8-1 season last fall.
The Boxers scored 38 goals and 23 of them were delivered by Hawaii booters.
Leading the way was senior striker Moani Lau (Kamehameha) with eight goals. Junior striker Joni Kaitoku (Iolani), freshman defender Brooke Hayashi (Moanalua) and sophomore striker Karley Peterson (Leilehua) each had three goals.
Two of Kaitoku's goals were game-winners.
Junior defender Jean Kasamoto (Mid-Pacific), back from a year studying in Japan, and freshman striker Stacy Sueoka (Kauai), each scored two times. Contributing one goal apiece were junior defender/midfielder Mariel Kim (Punahou) and Aiea redshirt freshman midfielder Christine Toyama.
Lau, Peterson, Hayashi and Kasamoto also booted game-winning shots into the net.
Stefanie Kawatomari, a freshman midfielder from Mid-Pacific, and Kaleinani Titcomb, a junior midfielder/striker from Kamehameha, each assisted on two goals.
Junior Kasey Chun (Maryknoll) was a force on defense, starting all 20 matches for the NCAA Division III school. Stephanie Kawamura (Aiea), a junior goalkeeper, started five of the six matches she played between the pipes, finishing with a 3-2 record, two shutouts and a 1.64 goals-against average.
The Pacific men's team roster included seven Hawaii players and five of them accounted for 10 of the 22 goals the 6-12-0 Boxers scored.
Bobby Shinn, a junior striker from Pearl City, tied for the team lead with six goals. Daniel Park, a sophomore midfielder from Pearl City, freshman defender Brett Asato (Aiea), Graham Enomoto, a freshman defender from Hawaii Baptist and junior defender Randy Shinn (Pearl City) each scored once.
Junior midfielder Elliott Hirai (Aiea) started 16 of 18 matches, had one assist, but did not connect on any of his 17 shots. Justin Davis, a freshman striker from Seabury Hall, saw action in nine matches.
Elsewhere
Bucky Jencks started seven of the 17 matches he played in for the 13-2-3 Bowdoin Polar Bears. The junior midfielder from Punahou took three shots but did not score.Bowdoin was ousted in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament by Wheaton (Mass.) on penalty kicks 9-8.
Dana Kagawa, a freshman defender from Aiea, had one assist in the seven matches she played for the 19-3 Notre Dame de Namur (Calif.) Argonauts, an NAIA team.
Brandon Tario played in eight matches for the 6-11-3 UC Irvine Anteaters, a NCAA Division I team. The freshman midfielder from Kamehameha took two shots but did not dent the net. Scott Shiraishi, a freshman midfielder from Iolani, saw action in four UCI matches and put in his only shot on goal.
Lori Sakai, a sophomore defender who transferred this year to Nevada-Las Vegas from Notre Dame de Namur to compete at the Division I level, played in 11 matches for the 9-9-3 Rebels. The Iolani graduate scored one goal on 13 shots.
Tiara Hong, a freshman defender from University, saw action in 11 matches for the 7-11-2 Oregon State Beavers.
See the Columnists section for some past articles. Just for Kicks runs every other Sunday in the Star-Bulletin.
Al Chase can be reached at achase@starbulletin.com