Wahine feeling soft
in the middle

The muddled situation in the middle has been the focus of Hawaii soccer coach Pinsoom Tenzing in practice this week.

The Rainbow Wahine host the nationally ranked Pepperdine Waves and the Eastern Michigan Eagles in the Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Classic at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park this weekend.

Hawaii will be without sophomore center midfielders Jessica Domingo and Gabina Bohlman.

Both suffered knee injuries last Friday in the season opener against George Mason.

Domingo has a sprained left knee and the coaches are waiting for the results of an MRI in Bohlman's right knee.

"It was a very physical game and I saw Domingo knocked around several times by not one but two people," said Tenzing who used several players in the middle against Brigham Young Monday.

"It's been really tough. We're shuffling a lot of people in and out trying to find a combination that will work for us. Domingo has been running that position since spring and her partnership with Bohlman was working terrifically."

Tenzing employed several players in the middle against BYU. Junior striker Adria Campbell dropped back, sophomore defender Koren Takeyama moved up, junior defender Kelly McCloskey moved up and freshmen Liza Amaya and Alexis Choi had minutes in the middle.

It was an education as they were dealing with BYU midfielders, all of whom made the all-tournament team.

Pepperdine provides just as tough a challenge. An NCAA tournament team for the fourth consecutive year in 2004, the Waves are 58-10-8 in nonconference matches over the past five seasons.

This year the Waves opened their season by knocking off two ranked teams at home. They defeated No. 28 Central Florida 2-1 in their opener, then rallied with three goals in the final 19 minutes to beat No. 18 Arizona. As a result, the Waves were ranked in three polls this week, the highest being No. 18 in Soccer Buzz.

Senior Megan Woods scored two goals, including the game winner against Arizona and two assists in last week's matches. She was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Week.

The Eagles went on the road and beat Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne 2-1, then lost to the Oakland U. Grizzles 3-0.

Eastern Michigan is picked to finish sixth in the Mid-American Conference this year.

Pepperdine was picked to finish fourth in the West Coast Conference.

Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Classic Schedule: Tomorrow, Hawaii vs. Pepperdine, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Eastern Michigan vs. Pepperdine, 7 p.m.; Sunday, Hawaii vs. Eastern Michigan Where: Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park Stadium Radio/TV: None Admission/Parking: Free Series records: Pepperdine has won all three matches with Hawaii Last meeting: The Wahine lost 5-1 at Pepperdine, Sept. 8, 2000 Notes: The Wahine surrendered 18 corner kicks in their first two matches while getting seven themselves