Tenzing starting over with Hawaii’s offense

The post-Natasha Kai era has begun for the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine soccer team.

The loss of the school's all-time leading scorer isn't all that is missing from the UH offense heading into the 2006 season, the 13th under head coach Pinsoom Tenzing.

Adria Campbell, Gabrielle Bohlman and Krisha Kai, the second-, third- and fourth-leading scorers of a year ago, are not available.

Campbell decided to forego her senior season. Bohlman transferred to a mainland school and Tenzing received the bad news Wednesday that Kai is out indefinitely with a herniated disk.

Kai was projected to be a starter in her sister's spot.

Aimee Cohen, a striker who earned a starting berth as a freshman in 2005 before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the seventh match, also transferred to a mainland school.

Selene Williams, a midfielder who received a medical redshirt year as a senior last season, also decided not to play this year.

Putting an offense together is THE top priority for Tenzing and his staff before the season opener against Washington on Aug. 25.

"I'll argue that this may be the toughest pre-conference schedule we've ever had all things considered home and away," Tenzing said.

"I don't know what happened to Washington (0-17-3 in 2005) last year but she (UW coach Lesle Gallimore) has an incredible team on paper. Oklahoma (13-6-1) had a very solid season last year and Winthrop (8-10-1) played UNC tough."

The Sooners joined the Huskies in the first tournament of the season. Winthrop comes in with Kent State (9-8-5), runner-up in the Mid-American Conference last fall, for the second tourney at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park Stadium.

The first road trip sends the Wahine to Tucson, Ariz., for matches against the Pacific Tigers (10-9-1) and the host Wildcats (11-8-3), plus a match at Northern Arizona (10-11), runner-up in the Big Sky Conference tournament.

Cornell (7-7-1), under interim coach Gretchen Zigante, and San Francisco (4-14-2) provide the opposition in the third home tournament.

The Detroit Mercy Titans (10-4-5), a Horizon League championship match participant the past three years, and Cal State Northridge (11-8), under new coach Keith West, are in the fourth tournament.

The second road trip starts with nonconference matches at San Diego and Loyola Marymount, then continues with Western Athletic Conference matches at Idaho and Boise State.

The Wahine come back for their three WAC home matches against Louisiana Tech, Utah State and San Jose State, then conclude the regular season at Nevada and Fresno State.

Notes: Nineteen of 25 players out for fall practice passed the physical fitness test, the most ever. ... Brittney Aiwohi, who finished her eligibility with the Rainbow Wahine basketball team, is the backup goalkeeper. Aiwohi was an All-Interscholatic League of Honolulu first-team goalkeeper while at Sacred Hearts. ... Tobi Kanehira, a midfielder from Aiea who redshirted last year, did not rejoin the team this fall.