Wahine schedule
unveiled

The Hawaii soccer team plays four nonconference opponents and two new Western Athletic Conference members for the first time in 2005.

The George Mason Patriots, Eastern Michigan Eagles, Butler Bulldogs and the Robert Morris Colonials are here for the first time for nonconference games.

Utah State, Louisiana Tech and Idaho join the WAC this year.

"The WAC has a new look and we are looking forward to it," UH coach Pinsoom Tenzing said.

The Rainbow Wahine played Idaho once before. They renew rivalries with two former WAC foes, Brigham Young and San Diego State, teams they have never defeated.

The 19-match schedule includes 11 nonconference matchups, eight WAC encounters, three tournaments at the Waipio Peninsula Park Soccer Stadium, one on the road at Long Beach State and three road trips prior to the WAC tournament that will be hosted by Boise State this year.

"We looked in different places for opponents and it was easy to do because of the recommendations of Cornell and Duke (eastern teams that played here the past two years)," Tenzing said.

"Cornell and Duke had a good time here. Their players enjoyed it here. We want to win, but we work very hard to make sure the experience visiting teams have is a good one."

The season-opening Ohana Hotels & Resorts No Ka Oi tournament has George Mason and Brigham Young competing.

The Patriots were 10-7-3 under first-year coach Diane Drake and finished tied for third in the Colonial Athletic Association.

BYU had an uncharacteristic 7-11-4 season and was outscored 29-26. It was the Cougars' first losing season in the 10-year history of the program.

Eastern Michigan of the Mid-American Conference and Pepperdine of the West Coast Conference are in the Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Soccer Classic.

The Eagles, also 10-7-3 a year ago, will be more mature this season as 14 of their 23 players were freshmen and sophomores in 2004.

Pepperdine, 9-7-3 in 2004, went to the NCAA tournament and lost to UCLA 1-0 in the first round on a goal at 80:52.

The first road trip is to Long Beach, Calif., for a tournament hosted by the Long Beach State 49ers. The Wahine play Weber State on Sept. 10 and the host Sept. 12, then have a match at UC Santa Barbara.

They are off the following weekend, then play Butler and Robert Morris in the Ohana Hotels & Resorts Soccer Shootout, Sept. 23-25.

The Bulldogs (7-10-2) finished third in the Horizon league) and the Colonials, from Moon Township, Pa., were 4-13-2 overall, 2-6-1 in the Northeast Conference.

The second road trip has UH playing the Cal State Fullerton Titans (11-8-1) of the Big West Conference and San Diego State (8-7-6) of the Mountain West Conference. The Aztecs lost the MWC tournament title game to Utah on penalty kicks.

During the WAC season, the Wahine play a nonconference game at Utah Valley State.

2005 Wahine schedule

AUGUST
Ohana Hotels & Resorts No Ka Oi
26: George Mason, 7 p.m. 27: George Mason vs. Brigham Young, 7 p.m. 29: Brigham Young, 5 p.m.

SEPTEMBER
Outrigger Hotels & Resorts
Soccer Classic
2: Pepperdine, 7 p.m. 3: Pepperdine vs. Eastern Michigan, 7 p.m. 4: Eastern Michigan, 5 p.m.
Long Beach State Tournament
10: vs. Weber State at Long Beach, Calif. 12: at Long Beach State
14: at UC Santa Barbara.
Ohana Hotels & Resorts Soccer Shootout
23: Butler, 7 p.m. 24: Butler vs. Robert Morris, 7 p.m. 25: Robert Morris, 5 p.m.
29: at Cal State Fullerton.

OCTOBER
2: at San Diego State. 7: Idaho, 7 p.m.
9: Boise State, 5 p.m. 14: at Louisiana Tech. 16: at Utah State. 17: at Utah Valley State. 21: at San Jose State. 28: Nevada, 7 p.m. 30: Fresno State, 5 p.m.

NOVEMBER
3-5: WAC tournament at Boise State.