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Rainbow Wahine
soccer team sets
sights on NCAAs
UH opens its season tomorrow
night against St. Mary's in
the No Ka Oi Tournament
Is this the season the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine win the Western Athletic Conference tournament and get the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament?
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The goal of the UH players is to do what it takes to at least reach the NCAA tourney.
The 2004 season begins tomorrow with a 7 p.m. match against St. Mary's in the opener of the OHANA Hotels & Resorts No Ka Oi Tournament at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park Stadium. UH then plays Pacific on Sunday at 5 p.m.
Coach Pinsoom Tenzing has 24 returnees, 10 players who started at one time or another last year and 13 seniors to provide leadership. The competition for starting berths has been intense in fall practice.
"I go into the season with a lot of trepidation because of the injuries, but that is not going to be an excuse. We still should be OK, because this team is deep and we have a whole season to mend," said Tenzing.
The injuries are the nagging kind -- a twisted ankle, a strained muscle, a sore knee.
The goalkeeping duties are in good hands with junior Mahie Atay, the projected starter if healthy, and seniors Erin Chow and Kimi Tiampo. Atay led the conference with a 0.73 goals against average in 2003.
Defensive stalwarts Krystalynn Ontai and Jessica Uecker, both seniors, return to anchor the back line. The third spot could go to senior Liz Lusk, who is battling an injury; Emily Rose, a transfer from Santa Rosa Junior College; or Lehua Wood, a freshman from Kamehameha. Also in contention are redshirt freshman Shawn Higa, sophomore Kelly McCloskey and juniors Ashley Chaffin and Jizelle Yates.
"The new players have looked extremely good. They have been able to work a lot with Jessica and Krystalynn because Liz has been out," said Tenzing.
The midfield starts with senior nonstop workers Joelle Sugai and Natalie Groenewoud on the left and right, respectively. Tenzing knows replacing those two next year will be a huge task.
"In between, we are not sure how we want to do business this year because we have so many kids genuinely competing for positions," said Tenzing.
"We have a gift from Kamehameha in (freshman) Jessica Domingo. I don't know how I can keep her off the field for an extended period of time as of now. She does everything a center midfielder needs to do, is a very bright student of the game and absorbs new material into her game quickly."
Seniors Sasha Araya-Schraner, Kalena Eaton and Tia Medeiros and junior Seline Williams saw plenty of playing time in the middle of the field last year and are involved in what Tenzing calls the furious competition that he hopes becomes part of the overall strength of the team.
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The firepower up front starts with junior Natasha Kai, the two-time WAC Player of the Year and the nation's leading Division I goal scorer last year. She is recovering from a shin injury suffered while playing in the Nordic Cup with the United States Under-21 Women's National Team in July.
The return of senior Robyn deHay, who distributes the ball extremely well, is a big boost for the Wahine. Seniors Pam Fong and Wendi Young are important role players. Krisha Kai is almost completely recovered from knee surgery. Redshirt freshman Koren Takeyama and freshman Gabrielle Bohlman have performed very well in fall practice.
"I knew Gabrielle was good, but I'm surprised she is so ready for the big time," said Tenzing.
Several players, including Natasha Kai, have to pass the team-required fitness test before they play in a match. Tenzing does not see anyone who won't pass the test when they are injury-free and have clearance from the trainer.
In his 11th season at the helm, Tenzing has his most veteran team.
"All the seniors come to the table with different strengths, but those strengths have become stronger. What we have to do is be much stronger in the air," he said. "Our style is to keep the ball on the ground, but if it is in the air, we have to hunt that ball down. We have emphasized that since the very first day.
"It is good that everyone wants to compete and don't expect anything to be handed to them."
Notes: The captains are Sugai and Ontai, who have held that position since their sophomore year, and Eaton and Uecker, elected by their teammates in the spring. ... Twenty of the 24 players who participated in spring practice compiled a grade-point average of 3.0 or better for that semester.
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