|

Just For Kicks
By Al Chase
Al Chase has been covering sports in Hawaii
since 1968. His column appears every other Sunday in the Star Bulletin.
From the local ranks to the World Cup,
Al Chase will help keep you up to date on futbol.
achase@starbulletin.com

Sunday, August 8, 2004
4 WAC schools have
new coaches
The Western Athletic Conference has experienced almost a 50 percent
turnover in the women's soccer coaching ranks since the 2003 season ended.
Fresno State, Nevada, San Jose State and Tulsa have new head coaches.
The returnees are Hawaii's Pinsoom Tenzing, Boise State's Steve Lucas,
Rice's Chris Huston, Southern Methodist's John Cossaboon and Texas-El Paso's
Kevin Cross.
Nevada hired Terri Patraw to replace Dang Pibulvech, who started the
program in 2000.
Patraw, who has been out of coaching the past three seasons while
completing her masters of business administration degree at Arizona State,
guided the Sun Devils to a No. 13 national ranking in 2000. She built the team
from scratch after being hired in 1995.
Tulsa turned its women's program over to Rena Richardson, an assistant the
past three seasons at Alabama, where she helped the Crimson Tide post a
three-year mark of 31-21-5.
Prior to Alabama, Richardson spent two seasons as the head coach at the
University of Louisiana-Monroe, where she undertook the difficult task of
starting a Division I women's soccer program, and led the team to 10 wins.
Richardson hired Pibulvech as an assistant.
Dave Siracusa has taken over the reins of the San Jose State Spartans after
spending the past three seasons as an assistant coach for the San Diego State
men's soccer team.
Siracusa, who signed 13 players for the coming season, was head coach of
Cal State Stanislaus' men's and women's teams prior to moving to SDSU.
Steve Springthorpe has been hired at Fresno State, replacing Stacy Welp,
who announced earlier that she would not return and planned to pursue other
professional opportunities after three years of guiding the Bulldogs.
Springthorpe spent the past five years as an assistant at Florida, where he
helped the Gators win three Southeastern Conference regular season
championships and three SEC Tournament Championships.
Louisiana Tech has hired Jennifer Soileau to coach the Lady Techsters'
newly formed women's program. LaTech will start play this year, but won't
compete in the WAC until 2005.
Soileau was a four-year MVP playing at the University of Mississippi from
1997 through 2001, earning first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors in
1998, 1999 and 2000.
Bulls cited
Congratulations to Honolulu Soccer Club Bulls goalkeeper David Semenza and
striker Satoshi Mitsuda, who were awarded the United States Youth Soccer 2004
adidas Golden Glove and Golden Boot awards, respectively, for the boys
under-19 division at the national championships.
The Bulls were honored with the Kohl's Fair Play Award for their division.
This award is in recognition of their good sportsmanship throughout the
tournament, for displaying positive conduct on the field toward their
opponents and game officials throughout the competition.
"I'm extremely proud of these players and they deserve all the
credit," said HSC Head Coach Phil Neddo.
"A little island in the middle of the Pacific has won a national
championship, and the name Hawaii will never be taken off the James P. McGuire
Cup."

Sunday, July 25, 2004
Youth teams busy competing at nationals
Three Hawaii youth soccer teams have been competing in national
championship tournaments this past week.
The Real Hawaii Futbol Club Under-12 girls and the Mililani
Soccer Club Under-13 boys participated in the United States Club Soccer National
Championships at Cary, N.C., competing in the premier and first divisions,
respectively.
This was the first time Hawaii is represented in this event and
both teams did well. Real Hawaii won the division by going 1-0-2. Mililani
finished second.
Real Hawaii team members are Dayna Akiu, Mari Carmichael, LeiAnn
Chun, Ashley Deguchi, Lauren Fukuyama, Ashley Ann Haruki, Sophia Hollis, Kylie
Ann Kanda, Melody Lee, Karli Look, Rachel Marumoto, Koala Matsuoka, Mari
Miyashiro, Chelsea Miyake, Michelle Nakasone, Erika Nana, Erin Park and Kearsten
Sego.
Real Hawaii is coached by Lisa Nakagawa, Steve Miyashiro and
Leland Look and the club director is Sean Richardson.
This year the team also won the Hawaii State U12G's
Championship, HYSA OL U14G league Championship, Tide American Cup U12G's
Championship, and MISO Jr.'s U12G's league Championship.
The Mililani boys are coached by Tom Powell and Jeff Yamamoto.
Team members are Rory Yamamoto (Mililani), Noah Ogata
(Mililani), Matthew Dutson (Pearl Harbor), Austin Wakinekona (Nanakuli), Parker
Powell (Haleiwa), Jared Domingo (Kapolei), Alan Albertazzi (Mililani), Gareth
Gomez (Aiea), Alexander Prideaux (Hickam), Paul Nakamoto (Mililani), Cory
Nakagawa (Mililani), Ken Hayashi (Mililani), Philip Sakaba (Mililani), Kyle Suan
(Mililani), Michael Anduha (Mililani), Aaron Miyamoto, (Wahiawa) and Micah Borja
(Mililani).
For more information on the final day of play at the USCSNC, see
Hawaii Beat.
The Honolulu Soccer Club Bulls Under-19 boys team plays in
today's final of the United States Youth Soccer National Championships at
Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The Bulls
qualified by winning the Far West Regional title last month.
The Bulls play CASL '84 CASL Elite (N.C.) in the final. The
other regional winners in the event were the Baltimore (Md.) Bays and Scott
Gallagher (Mo.)
CASL handed the Bulls their only loss, 1-0 Thursday.
The Bulls strikers are Akihida Adachi (Japan), Nathan Amous
(Mililani, Carlton College), Max Anton (Kalaheo), Duke Hashimoto (Iolani,
Southern Methodist) and Satoshi Mitsuda (Punahou, Boston College).
The midfielders are Justin Kim (Mililani), David Gualdarama (Kamehameha,
New Mexico), Brandon Tano (Kamehameha, UC Irvine), Richard Higa (Mid-Pacific,
UMass), and Bret Shimizu (Stanford).
Defenders include Stephen Carlson (Punahou, Loyola Marymount),
Matthew Fischer (Washington), Scott Shiraishi (Iolani, UC Irvine), Kenshiro Uki
(Pearl City, Whitworth) and Ryan Wisdom (Westmont).
Charged with guarding the nets are William Cooper (Kalaheo) and
David Semenza (Punahou, Brown).
The competition began with more than 129,000 players on 7,200
teams in 55 state associations.
Congratulations to the Hilo All-American girls team that won the
Under-16 division in the AYSO National Games recently at Lancaster, Calif.

Sunday, July 4, 2004
Boltz found playing ball in Montana
Patrick Boltz, who helped Punahou win state championships in
1996 and 1998 and claim runner-up honors in 1997, made a comeback last fall. He
started 13 of the 16 matches he played for the Montana State-Billings
Yellowjackets.
Boltz began his collegiate career at Seattle Pacific where he
lettered as a true freshman. He then took a break from collegiate soccer for two
seasons playing in adult leagues before joining the Yellowjackets.
The junior defender scored one goal; an unassisted, first-half
effort against Colorado-Colorado Springs, and had one assist. The 6-9-1
Yellowjackets played just two home matches.
He was named the Star-Bulletin Player of the Year and National
Soccer Coaches Association of America/UMBRO state player of the year after his
senior season with the Buffanblu.
Several other juniors from Hawaii contributed to their team's
success last fall.
Kenji Treschuk scored four goals on 19 shots in 19 matches for
the 9-10-1 Penn State Nittany Lions. The junior midfielder from Moanalua made 10
starts and had one assist. He is majoring in psychology with a minor in
kinesiology.
Ryan Kreps played in 19 matches for the NAIA Point Loma Nazarene
Crusaders. The junior defender from King Kekaulike put half of his four shots on
goal, but did not hit the back of the net.
Jennifer Hall, a junior striker from Kaiser, scored twice and
had one assist in 11 matches for the 14-5-0 Whitworth Pirates. Eight of her 11
shots were on goal.
Jordan Inouye assisted on one goal in 12 matches for the Seattle
U. Redhawks who were 11-6-0. The junior defender from Kaiser, who transferred
from Hawaii Pacific, did not play in the last four matches due to an injury.
Punahou grads Sean Akamine and Marcus Asahina, both midfielders,
helped the Puget Sound Loggers finish in second place in the NCAA Division III
Northwest Conference with a 13-3-3 record.
Akamine, a junior, scored one goal and had one assist in 19
matches. Asahina, a sophomore, contributed two assists in 17 matches.
The St. Michaels (Colchester, Vt.) Purple Knights got some
long-distance support from the Self brothers, both Kaiser graduates. Bobby, a
junior midfielder, had five assists and scored once in 18 matches for the NCAA
Division II college. Brandon, a freshman striker played in 14 matches, scoring
twice and assisting on one goal.
Stacy Kodani and Ben Villaflor saw action for the 9-10-1 San
Francisco Dons of the West Coast Conference.
Kodani, a 6-foot-1 junior defender from Seabury Hall, had two
assists in 13 matches.
Villaflor, a sophomore midfielder from Aiea, scored two goals on
eight shots in 12 matches for the Dons.
Mariah Farley, a senior goalkeeper, played just 36 minutes in
one match for the 8-5-6 South Dakota State Jackrabbits. The pharmacy major who
graduated from Iolani played her first two seasons at Portland State before
transferring.
Farley saw 83 minutes of action in three matches in two seasons
with the Jackrabbits.
Julie Broussard, a striker from Mililani, is continuing her
education at Azusa Pacific, but did not play soccer last year.

Sunday, June 20, 2004
Hawaii teams look to end
Veterans Cup drought
THE Hawaii Soccer Association is hosting the Veterans Cup for
the second consecutive year this week at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park
complex.
The seventh annual competition conducted by the United States
Amateur Soccer Association starts Wednesday. The opening ceremony starts at 10
a.m., with the first matches kicking off at noon. The championship matches are
Sunday.
The women's divisions are over-30, over-40 premier, over-40
first, over-50 and over-55. The men will compete in over-40 premier, over-40
first, over-50 and over-55 divisions.
There are 58 teams entered, with 40 coming from 17 mainland
states. Hawaii's entries are from Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. All the 2003
champions return to defend their titles.
Hawaii's 18 teams will be trying to keep at least one national
title trophy in the 50th state. Last year, Aloha United's men's team reached the
final of the over-55 before losing to Georgia Select 2-1 on a late goal.
It has been 12 years since Hawaii's only national adult title
was brought home by Ke Koa, winners of the U.S. Women's Over-30 title.
The visitors are expected to pump $3 million into the local
economy, according to projections from the state Department of Business,
Economic Development and Tourism.
College bound
Satoshi Mitsuda (Punahou 2003), who took a year off
before starting his college career, will attend Boston College after considering
the U.S. Military Academy, Stanford, UC Davis and Loyola Marymount.
"I wanted to go east because it is completely different
from Hawaii and California," the striker said.
Aimee Watanabe takes her soccer talents to the NCAA
Division II Western Oregon Wolves in Monmouth, Ore. The midfielder from Castle
visited the campus in May and enjoyed the experience.
"I met the team and the girls and coaches made me feel very
welcome. The campus is really pretty," Watanabe said.
A Star-Bulletin second-team all-state selection, Watanabe wants
to major in nursing.
Kaui Wong, who played all over (but prefers the midfield)
for Roosevelt and was an honorable mention all-state Star-Bulletin pick, will
walk on at the University of San Diego.
"I'm going to go to the fall camp and see what
happens," said Wong, who has visited San Diego several times for
tournaments with the Honolulu Bulls Soccer Club.
"San Diego is a school I'd go to even if I was not going to
play soccer. I like the campus a lot. It's the closest I can get on the mainland
to being in a warm place like Hawaii."
Kami Kapaku, a first-team Star-Bulletin all-state
selection, will enroll at Oregon this fall. The midfielder from Baldwin also
considered the Hawaii program.
Lipsher in showcase
Allison Lipsher was one of 18 seniors playing for the
West in the third annual McDonald's All-America High School girls soccer match
played last Sunday at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
Lipsher, the Star-Bulletin's first-team goalkeeper, is one of
the top 50 recruits in the country, according to Soccer Buzz Magazine. The
recent Punahou graduate will play for Duke this fall.
The West tied the East 2-2 in the girls match, while the West
boys prevailed 5-2.

Sunday, June 6, 2004
‘Sophomore jinx’ stays
away from Hawaii soccer
players
THERE are times when the "sophomore jinx" causes an
athlete to have a down year after experiencing a successful freshman season in
college. Most of Hawaii's sophomores avoided the jinx last fall.
Charlene Lui started all 26 matches for 16-7-3 Brigham Young.
The Cougars advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament before losing to
UConn. The sophomore midfielder from Punahou put nine of her 16 shots on goal,
scored once and had one assist.
Chris AhNew, a sophomore striker from Kamehameha, played in 19
of the California Institute of Technology's 20 matches, starting 17.
"Chris did not have any goals or assists. Unfortunately, as
a team, we only had 10 goals and four assists," said Caltech sports
information director Mike Rupp. "I would like to note, however, that, like
all our student-athletes, the very fact that he is attending Caltech speaks
volumes about his academic accomplishments."
Lindsey Rothbaum played in 11 matches for the 9-7-3 California
Lutheran Regals. The sophomore midfielder from St. Andrew's Priory had one
assist for the NCAA Division III team .
Kenan Knieriem played in 15 matches for the 5-10-1 Navy
Midshipmen, starting two. The sophomore midfielder/striker from Punahou scored
one goal, a game winner off a cross against Towson State.
Kara Ishikawa finished her sophomore season at 7-7-2 Cornell as
the Big Red's third leading scorer. The midfielder from Iolani started all 16
matches, put four balls into the net and had three assists for 11 points.
Carmen Calpo, who transferred from Hawaii to East Carolina this
year, started all 19 matches for the 7-7-5 Pirates. The midfielder/striker from
Pearl City, scored twice and contributed three assists.
"Carmen is a dangerous threat in the attack, comfortable
with the ball and technically sound," said ECU coach Rob Donnenwirth.
"She is a great athlete and has a great understanding of the game."
Brandee Chong, a sophomore midfielder, appeared in seven matches
for the 10-6-1 Hanover Panthers. The Kamehameha grad had one assist, took seven
shots, but did not score. Hanover won the Heartland Collegiate Athletic
Conference title with a 6-0-1 record.
Audrey Ehrhorn, a sophomore defender, started three of the 14
matches she played in for the George Washington Colonials. The Iolani grad plans
to major in political science and environmental studies.
Jennifer Iha scored two goals and had one assist for the 6-9-3
Sacramento State Hornets. The junior midfielder from Mililani played in 17
matches with six starts. Karalee Narimatsu suffered her second ACL injury and
redshirted. However, the midfielder from Mililani has decided not to play for
the Hornets next year, but will complete her education at Sacramento State
according to assistant coach Katie Sheppard.
Mitchell Fu, a sophomore midfielder, had one assist for the
Cascade College (Portland, Ore.) Thunderbirds. The Maryknoll grad who played for
Pac-Five, played in 14 matches with 11 starts.
Tiffany Todo, a sophomore striker from Iolani, suffered a stress
fracture in her left heel during summer workouts and experienced a slow
recovery. She did not see action for Cornell until the end of the season.

Sunday, May 23, 2004
Mililani’s Abrigo
headed to USF
SEVERAL more Hawaii high school seniors have decided where they
will attend college this fall and combine academics with soccer.
Jay Abrigo, a stopper on Mililani's state championship team,
considered Portland and Denver before deciding to start his college education
and continue his soccer career with the San Francisco Dons following visits to
all three campuses.
"The deciding factor was the USF coaches' attitude. They
were the most friendly," said Abrigo, a Star-Bulletin first-team All-State
pick. "Also, USF is a better atmosphere for me as a student."
On his USF visit, Abrigo's host was Seabury Hall graduate Stacy
Kodani, also a defender, who will be a senior this fall.
Chris Faulkner was set to go to USF, but he received a call
Tuesday from his first choice, Washington U., in St. Louis, Mo., informing him
he no longer was on the waiting list.
"This was my first choice all along because of the
academics. It was an easy decision (to change)," said Faulkner, a striker
from Iolani who wants to study finance.
Faulkner and Raider teammates Dane McCleary and Dyrk Teramae
were Star-Bulletin first-team All-State selections.
McCleary, who has experience with the New Zealand U17 and U21
teams, will continue his career at the University of San Diego after considering
USF, UC Irvine, Fairfield and UMass.
"I like the program and the coach at USD and I love San
Diego. They made me a good financial offer," McCleary said.
Teramae, a striker, will enroll at UC Irvine this fall. He also
thought about attending Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, Loyola Marymount and Gonzaga.
"I wanted to go to a good engineering school that had a
good soccer program," said Teramae, whose interest is mechanical
engineering.
He was in the Olympic Development Program for four years.
Jodie Toyama, an outside left midfielder from Aiea, will try to
walk on at national powerhouse Portland.
The Vikings return all but three players from their team that
reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament last year.
Toyama did consider Hawaii.
"I've been admitted to the nursing school at Portland. It
is a very good program. I really want to go into nursing and that was the big
factor in my decision," Toyama said.
Lisa Lerud, a defender from Punahou, may walk on at the
University of San Diego.
Makana Prothero, a striker from Kamehameha, has been accepted at
Nevada-Las Vegas and plans to try out for the Rebels as a walk-on.
Alfiler an Aztec
Andrea Alfiler joins San Diego State's women's program as an
assistant coach this fall. She assisted at Pt. Loma Nazarene in San Diego last
year.
"I felt I was at a crossroads as far as my coaching career.
I had an opportunity to go play pro ball in Spain and I came very close to
getting on a very long plane ride," said Alfiler, who is from Kauai and the
2001 NAIA Player of the Year.
"But after a lot of thought and prayer, I decided to hang
up the boots and join the staff at San Diego State. I believe that it's my
calling and everything in my life has been a building block to prepare for this
moment.
"I'm excited to continue coaching. It is definitely a
passion of mine."

Sunday, May 9, 2004
Hawaii soccer spreads
to East Coast
Today some of the 60 freshmen not mentioned in previous columns are
featured.
Elizabeth Kalama saw action in 18 matches for Point Loma Nazarene in San
Diego. The midfielder from Kamehameha did not score, but both her shots were
on goal.
"Elizabeth started pretty much every game for us," said Crusader
assistant coach Andrea Alfiler. "I could see leadership qualities in her
that were pretty quiet. I told her to recognize that she has that quality and
to come into her own."
Erin Apo, a defender from Roosevelt, and Marley Shain, a midfielder from
Punahou, took their talents to the East Coast and played in Boston for the
NCAA Division III Simmons College Sharks.
"Marley had a solid year for us, and was instrumental in our defeat of
Western New England College when she assisted on the game-winning goal. Erin
was hurt most of the year, but was a great asset to the team off the
field," said Simmons coach Dick Dawson.
Simmons (7-1-1) was the Great Northeast Athletic Conference regular-season
champion.
Kealakehe graduate Brad Fyffe headed to Boston and played in 12 matches for
the Emerson College Lions. The Big Island Interscholastic Federation North
first-team defender a year ago turned striker scored once. Emerson finished
11-7-1 and advanced to the semifinal round of the GNAC Tournament.
Darin Fajota, a midfielder from Maryknoll, was a walk-on at Loyola
Marymount and played in one match.
"He basically still must prove himself before he gets more playing
time. Darin is a technically clean player with creative skills on the
ball," said LMU assistant coach Brian Irvin.
JoBette Nabarro started five of the 14 matches she saw action in for the
San Diego State Aztecs (7-10-2). The four-time BIIF All-Star and player of the
year as a senior at Waiakea took five shots but did not score. Nabarro picked
up her first college assist against Long Beach State.
Stephannie Pearson, who played her freshman season with the Hawaii Rainbow
Wahine then transferred to SDSU, was in the goal for every minute this year.
She has a 1.36 goals-against average and led the Mountain West Conference with
seven shutouts.
Kristin Muramoto allowed two goals and made three saves in 211 minutes
between the pipes for the 16-1-2 Willamette Bearcats. The Iolani alum played
in five matches, starting three, and had a 0.85 goals-against average.
Christian Marston was a walk-on at Vanguard University (Costa Mesa, Calif.)
and earned a starting berth in 13 of the 17 matches he played for the 13-6-1
Lions. The midfielder from Kapaa had three assists but did not connect on any
of his 14 shots.
Chandi Bickford, who can play up top but was used primarily as a defender,
logged time in 15 matches during her first season with the 11-6-4 UC Santa
Barbara Gauchos. The King Kekaulike graduate, who won the state long jump and
triple jump competitions a year ago, did not take any shots, but recorded two
assists.
David Semenza, a goalkeeper from Punahou, played in one match for the Ivy
League's Brown Bears, a 2-2 overtime tie against Providence.
Semenza made five saves in 110 minutes between the pipes.

Sunday, April 25, 2004
Perry headed from
Kauai to Costa Mesa
HAWAII'S prep players continue making important decisions about their
future and college choices. Standouts Madison Perry and Brent Murakami know
where they will pursue their academic goals and continue playing soccer.
This time also is when players make recruiting trips to the mainland to
better evaluate their choices. Others are waiting on financial information
from institutions where they have been accepted.
Perry, a center midfielder from Kauai High, will continue her soccer career
at Vanguard in Costa Mesa, Calif. She made her decision after visiting the
campus following the Nomads Tournament in San Diego during spring vacation.
"I met the team. They are a very good group of girls," Perry
said. "The school offered a good financial package and has a good program
in what I want to study -- sports medicine."
She also considered Southern Oregon, Hawaii and Portland State.
Murakami, a center midfielder on Mililani's four consecutive state
championship teams, will play soccer for the Whitworth College Pirates in
Spokane, Wash. The National Merit Scholar also considered Redlands,
Concordia-Irvine and Pacific (Ore.) in what he termed a five-month
decision-making process.
"One of the biggest pluses was the coach (Sean Bushey)," said
Murakami, who will major in business marketing. "I have known him for
quite a few years through (the Olympic Development Program). I see him every
summer and the communication lines were established.
"Education-wise, Whitworth is a good school. I visited the campus and
it is beautiful."
Pro update
Brian Ching, in his fourth professional season and third in Major League
Soccer, is coming off the bench for the San Jose Earthquakes. The striker has
played 55 minutes in three matches. He has taken one shot, scoring in San
Jose's 3-1 victory over the New England Revolution on April 17.
Zach Scott has signed for a third season with the A-League Seattle
Sounders. The defender hails from Maui and played his college soccer at
Gonzaga.
Scott spent a week before Christmas working out with the Los Angeles Galaxy
of the MLS.
"It went well. I hope that another season with the Sounders will get
me more chances with MLS teams," said Scott, who plays on the left side
despite being a natural righty.
"It's been quite a process to learn how to play the left side, but now
I feel more comfortable there than on the right."
Scott also played indoor soccer for San Diego after the Sounders' season
last year, but found the wear and tear on his body was too much and returned
to Seattle. Fortunately, his contract with the Sounders is good enough that he
can concentrate on soccer, although he does help coach youth players.
Iovo Stefanov, a defender who lettered four years at Hawaii Pacific, has
been offered a contract by the Wilmington, N.C., Hammerheads of the Pro Soccer
League, second in the pecking order in the United Soccer League picture.
Earlier this spring, Stefanov had tryouts with the Sounders and the
Charleston Battery, 2003 A-League champions.
"I'm so happy and relieved. I can't describe it. I plan to make the
most out of it," said Stefanov, a Sofia, Bulgaria, native.

Sunday, April 11, 2004
Hawaii shows soccer
skills Down Under
Two groups of Hawaii's veteran soccer players took their
talents on the road recently.
The Aloha United Soccer Club participated in the Supa Oldies
Sports International Fun Cup, an event for players over 35, at Gold Coast,
Queensland, Australia, last week and compiled a 0-2-1 record, with their final
match not yet reported.
Aloha United was the only coed team and only team from the
United States in the tournament. The team was 1-2-1 in the same tournament in
New Zealand a year ago.
The Aloha United players were Gary Bilyk, Ken Bogowitz,
Dimitri Economou, Manny Fernandes, Yuji Ikeda, Frank Lee, Vic Peters, Joe
Turban, Nan Alota, Manu Anana-Okamura, Pilahi Gregg, May Lapa and Pauline Lapa.
They tied Koala Green (Australia) 0-0, lost to Hungarian
Budapest Old Guys 3-1, with Bogowitz scoring for United, and lost to Avoca
Beach ParaAnimals (Australia) 2-1, with Gregg converting a penalty kick for
United's goal.
The oldest and youngest Aloha United players, Lee and Turban,
were chosen to play on the Pacific Team in an exhibition match vs. Team
Europe. That match was a 3-3 draw.
Playing on the mainland, Hawaii Gold, an over-52 women's team,
reached the championship match of the Friendship Tournament in Las Vegas last
weekend before losing to San Diego 1-0.
Coached by Holly Lau and Cheryl Shimizu, Hawaii Gold compiled
a 3-1-1 record heading into the title match.
College happenings
Megan Omura switched sports at Texas last fall after tearing
her left meniscus during spring practice last year. She gave up soccer and
joined the Longhorns' rowing program.
"I did not like being injured all the time and I figured
my body couldn't handle that. Soccer turned into more like a job and it wasn't
making my college experience fun," said Omura. "I definitely like
the school and made a lot of friends there.
"I found that with rowing I could have the best of both
worlds. I'm on the novice team and we travel with the varsity."
The Iolani graduate hopes to prove she is worthy of a rowing
scholarship this fall.
Noe Kamelamela also made a switch, according to information
sent by Kamehameha goalkeeper coach Bruce Omura.
Kamelamela was slated to be the starting goalkeeper at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology last fall, but decided not to play
soccer. Her decision was the result of the time demands of the sport and how
that factor related to her academic pursuits. She also spent an eye-opening
summer in Sweden.
In an e-mail, Omura wrote:
"Noe had a summer research internship at the Royal
Institute of Technology for 10 weeks in Stockholm, Sweden, fending for herself
and working on a research paper with a professor at the Royal Institute. It
was a great experience for her as she had to learn to use the subway, shop,
etc.
"She has become a mature worldly young lady. She plans to
return to Sweden to get a PhD. She was impressed with their National Health
Insurance, free public education thru college, the fact that all the people
speak at least two and usually three or more languages, that there are no
homeless people, and the open mindedness/tolerance of differences in
people."

Sunday, March 28, 2004
Wilson added punch
for Marymount
Laura Wilson was part of a 1-2 punch for the
Marymount (Arlington, Va.) Saints, who compiled a 9-9-1 record last fall. The
junior striker from Hilo led the team with nine goals on 52 shots in 16 matches.
She was a second-team All-Capitol Athletic
Conference pick, completing a comeback from an injury that sidelined her in
2002.
"It's been four years since we had one
individual score that many goals in a season," said Marymount coach Bob
Meden. "This past year we were lucky to not only have one, but two good
scorers. The other player had eight goals and an assist for 17 points. There is
hope on the horizon.
"Laura is a very talented individual whose
skills have not been fully utilized by her teammates or her coach."
Wilson has 11 goals in two seasons at Marymount,
good for ninth place on the Saints' career list.
Vito Higgins started in the goal in 14 of
Gonzaga's 16 matches, allowed 28 goals and finished with a 2.06 goals-against
average. The freshman, who graduated from the Academy of the Pacific and played
for Pac-Five, fashioned two shutouts and made 71 saves in 1,222 minutes of
action.
Daniel Scott, a freshman defender from King
Kekaulike, played in six matches for the 5-10-1 Bulldogs.
Jen Katres had a solid year as a defender in 16
matches for the Missouri Valley College (Marshall, Mo.) Eagles.
"Jen is a player that does very well off the
bench. She is extremely intelligent. It is nice to have a player that can
observe how the game is going and understand what I am asking her to do when she
goes in," said Eagles coach Derek Burton.
The sophomore from Kalaheo had two assists.
"Jen is very much a stay-at-home defender,
so any offensive production is a bonus," said Burton.
Brent Nakamura took nine shots and scored once in
15 matches for the Chapman Panthers, an NCAA Division III independent. Darren
Lee played in six matches and did not score on his two shots. Both junior
midfielders are Punahou grads.
Kyle Kagihara, a sophomore midfielder for the
Union College (Schenectady, N.Y.) Dutchmen, played in three matches. The Punahou
graduate had one assist for the NCAA Division III school.
Liane Tom, a freshman midfielder from Mililani,
started eight of 14 matches for 8-12-1 Boise State and assisted on one Broncos
goal.
Justin Green started nine of 15 matches for the
NCAA Division III California Lutheran Kingsmen. The sophomore midfielder from
King Kekaulike scored once on eight shots. Brandon Higa, a freshman midfielder
from Punahou, played in 17 matches for the Kingsmen. He did not score on 11.
Freshmen midfielders/strikers contributed to
Azusa Pacific's 13-4-3 record, although the NAIA powerhouse did not reach the
national finals for the first time in five seasons after being upset by William
Jewel.
Mari Kasamoto (Iolani) and Taryn Apo (Baldwin)
saw action in 17 and eight matches, respectively.
Sheri Wilhelm put two of her five shots on goal
for 12-5-2 Humboldt State. The freshman midfielder from Hawaii Prep saw action
in 19 matches for the Lumberjacks.

Sunday, March 14, 2004
Ariola makes the most
of his opportunity
KEONI Ariola, who said he was not that well known as a soccer
player at Campbell High School, took matters into his own hands, made his own
highlight video and sent it to a number of mainland colleges.
There were several responses, but the one that determined
where he would spend the next four years, the best offer, came from Chris
Luther, the men's soccer coach at York College in Nebraska.
"I needed a scholarship and it was late August. I was
worried. When Coach Luther sent me the scholarship, I signed and everything
worked out well," said Ariola, who survived snow and sub-zero
temperatures knowing that Hawaii was home.
Fortunately for the secondary education major, York offers the
option of doing student teaching in a student's home state. Ariola is doing
his here and will graduate in May.
"Keoni was a fabulous player for us, had great ball
skills," Luther said. "The biggest thing about Keoni was his work
ethic.
"He demonstrated great leadership through example. Keoni
wasn't a cheerleader, but he worked hard to protect his teammates from his
defensive midfielder position."
Ariola started 64 of 71 matches for the Panthers during his
four-year career. He scored 11 goals on 65 shots and had eight assists.
"The door opened for me and I want Hawaii players to
realize there is a college out there for them. I think that's why I'm
teaching. I think all Hawaii kids need is a chance because they can
play," said Ariola, who will be a volunteer football coach at Kapolei
next season.
"I would love to coach soccer too, but I will wait to see
what happens."
Amber Waddle, who alternated between midfield and striker,
played in 59 matches during her four-year career for the Vanguard U. (Costa
Mesa, Calif.) Lions. The Makua Lani Christian graduate finished with nine
goals and six assists for 24 points. A psychology major, Waddle maintains a
3.52 grade point average.
"Amber worked herself up from almost no time to one of
our most dominant players in the middle, starting and playing every game her
senior year," Vanguard coach Kerry McGrath-Crooks said.
"She also was voted team captain by her teammates and is
highly respected for her work ethic, her humor and easy disposition."
Leisha Makinano, a senior defender for Nevada from Iolani,
started all but two of the 71 matches she played for the Wolf Pack. She tops
the career list for matches played and is the all-time assist leader with
seven. The computer information science major finished her four-year career
with five goals.
Kaula Rowe played in 68 matches, second best all time, for
Nevada. The striker from Kamehameha is the all-time Wolf Pack leader in goals
scored (18) and points (39). She is a political science major.
Adam Sthay, a senior goalkeeper for NCAA Division I Loyola
Marymount and Punahou graduate, started four of five matches for the 12-6-1
Lions and posted a 2.03 goals against average.
In his junior year Sthay set a Lions single-season shutout
record and led the Lions to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
This past fall he was named a captain and split time with the
Shaun Kalnasy before Kalnasy earned the starting nod. Sthay is majoring in
psychology.

Sunday, February 15, 2004
Hawaii booters make
most of redshirts
During the 2003 collegiate soccer season several Hawaii
players found it necessary to take a redshirt.
This happens when a player suffers a major injury. It also
occurs when a player needs a year to adjust to college life, academically and
athletically, or to save a year of eligibility if the team is loaded with
talent at a player's position.
Tiffany Taylor was a redshirt last fall at Boston U. after
transferring from Washington State.
The Punahou grad realized a long-time dream last summer when
she spent a month at a soccer camp in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. She was one of 12
women among the 65 Americans there. They were trained by Bolivian coaches who
only spoke Spanish and played matches against teams in the nearby towns.
"I absolutely love it and plan on doing it again next
summer," said Taylor who sat out this year after suffering a torn ACL in
her right knee during preseason practice at BU.
Taylor had surgery Sept. 15 and expects to be ready for
spring practice.
She originally chose WSU because it was Pac-10 soccer and
close to home. After two years she needed a change.
"I was getting restless at Washington State. It's an
awesome school, but it is in the middle of no where. I couldn't experience
anything else but soccer. And, I just love Boston. There is so much to do
here," said Taylor.
Ricky Shinn, a freshman defender from Pearl City, redshirted
at Southern Methodist.
"Ricky is an outstanding young man with raw talent. We
have discussed the season with Ricky and feel that it is in his and SMU's best
interest if he were to be redshirted for the year," said Mustangs coach
Schellas Hyndman.
Kyle Strickland, a junior midfielder, redshirted at UC
Irvine. He pulled a hamstring the day before the Anteaters' first match. His
recovery was so slow that head coach George Kuntz thought it was best the
Kapaa graduate sit out a year.
Soo Lee, a freshman goalkeeper from Seabury Hall, and Shaina
Sonobe, a freshman defender from Punahou, redshirted at Southern Oregon and UC
San Diego, respectively.
Jayson Nakakura, a sophomore goalkeeper at Missouri Valley
College, sat out the year. The Pearl City grad is recovering from an injury
suffered in a postseason match last year.
Hunter Gradie (Mid-Pacific), a freshman goalkeeper at
Delaware also redshirted as did another goalkeeper, Kealii Kuehu (Castle) at
St. Mary's (Calif.).
Randi Kikuchi tore her right ACL in the San Francisco Dons'
sixth match. That ended her season.
The sophomore defender from Seabury Hall was starting at an
outside back position.
"We expect a complete recovery and hopefully have her
back at the end of spring training," said USF coach Pamela Kalinoski.
"Randi is a great kid. I have a tremendous amount of respect for
her."
Freshman news
Erica Chong, a defender from Hilo, played in 14 matches for
Long Island U. The pharmacy major started three matches.
Christina Hayduk, a goalie from Kauai H.S., backed up NCAA
Division II first-team All-American Lindsay Blose at Mesa State. Hayduk
allowed one goal and had three saves in three matches for the 15-5-3
Mavericks.

Sunday, February 8, 2004
High schoolers sign
to play on mainland
Wednesday was the first day Hawaii's high school seniors
could sign a national letter of intent to play soccer for an NCAA school. The
signing period runs through Aug. 1.
Several prep standouts made their decisions early and signed
with the school of their choice. Others are still mulling over offers or
deciding what part of the mainland they want to display their talents.
David Gualdarama signed to play for the New Mexico Lobos. A
first-team Star-Bulletin all-state selection last year, the midfielder from
Kamehameha also received interest from Santa Clara, but only made an official
visit to UNM.
"The coaching staff is easy to get along with and it
was cool hanging out with the players," said Gualdarama, who has a
partial athletic scholarship.
Kamehameha coach Andrew AhNee said, "David has
everything. Maybe the past two years he didn't take too many shots. We asked
him to shoot more this year and he did that. It was the only thing missing
from his game."
The Lobos were 8-9-3 last year but advanced to the
championship game of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament, where
they lost to San Jose State 3-2.
Stephen Carlson, another first-team Star-Bulletin all-state
selection a year ago, made official visits to Duke, Santa Clara, Brown and
Loyola Marymount before deciding to sign with LMU.
"I think it was the location of the school. I felt more
comfortable there with the school and the atmosphere than on my other
visits," Carlson said about the deciding factor.
The Punahou striker said the LMU coaches want him to play
sweeper, a position he has played for the Honolulu Bulls Soccer Club.
The Lions finished 12-7-1 after bowing out of the NCAA
Tournament in the second round with a 1-0 overtime loss to Santa Clara.
Allison Lipsher, a tri-captain at Punahou, committed to play
for the Duke Blue Devils after also considering Stanford, Virginia and Santa
Clara.
The Star-Bulletin all-state, first-team goalkeeper a year
ago took official visits to all the schools except Virginia before making her
decision.
"It was mostly the people I met at Duke. They were open
and honest," said Lipsher, who will be on a partial athletic scholarship.
The Blue Devils finished 14-7-1 last fall after losing to
Texas A&M in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Lipsher will battle
two other goalkeepers, a junior and a senior, for playing time this fall.
Allison Tsuchida, also tri-captain for Punahou, signed with
Boise State of the Western Athletic Conference and will receive a partial
athletic scholarship. The midfielder considered UC San Diego and Loyola
Marymount but only made an official visit to BSU.
Tsuchida said she was deciding whether to wait until her
club team played in a mainland tournament during spring vacation to see if
there were other schools interested, but made her decision after her visit.
"I just really fell in love with the place. I liked the
small community and town. The team and coaches were really nice. I was there
in October and it was cold," said Tsuchida. "I looked at their
schedule and we come back to play Hawaii next year."
She may play center back for the Broncos, a position she
plays for the Honolulu Bulls.

Sunday, January 18, 2004
Hawaii players help
Mustangs almost make it
Duke Hashimoto and Adria Campbell made significant
contributions to the success of the Southern Methodist men's and women's
soccer teams last fall.
The Mustangs (13-6-3) were eliminated in the first round of
the NCAA Tournament by Santa Clara on penalty kicks 4-1 after playing to a 1-1
draw through overtime. Hashimoto, a sophomore midfielder/striker from Iolani,
set up SMU's goal with a pass to Colin Clark.
Hashimoto, who missed four matches with a strained knee, was
SMU's third-leading scorer with four goals and five assists for 13 points in
the 18 matches he played. He had one game-winning goal and put 16 of his 29
shots on goal.
Campbell, a freshman striker from Punahou, also got a taste
of postseason action, but the Western Athletic Conference champion Lady
Mustangs (17-3-2) were ousted in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by
Texas A&M, also 4-1 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 double-overtime draw.
Campbell had one game-winner among her five goals and was
second on the team with eight assists. Her 18 points was fourth-highest for
SMU. She put 12 of her 19 shots on goal.
More honors
Kurt Kagawa is a member of the National Soccer Coaches
Association of America/Adidas 2003 College Men's Scholar All-West Region
second team. A senior striker for the Whitworth Pirates, Kagawa majors in
political science and has a 3.795 grade point average.
Shelly Suzuki has been named to the NSCAA/Adidas 2003
Division 3 Women's All-West Region first team and to the NSCAA/Adidas 2003
NAIA Women's All-Region VIII team.
The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps senior defender and Punahou
graduate was selected Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Women's Soccer Player of the Year in November.
Convention news
Phil Neddo, Honolulu Bulls Soccer Club director of coaching,
was a key speaker at a panel on the development of youth soccer in America at
the NSCAA convention that ended today. He also was on a panel that discussed
developing a college program for youth players.
Coaching go-round
Tulsa has hired Rena Richardson to head the women's soccer
program.
Richardson, 32, comes to Tulsa after spending the last three
seasons as an assistant coach at Alabama, where she helped the Crimson Tide
post a three-year mark of 31-21-5.
Prior to Alabama, Richardson spent two seasons as the head
coach at the University of Louisiana-Monroe, where she undertook the difficult
task of starting a Division I women's soccer program, and led the team to 10
wins.
Nevada did not renew head women's soccer coach Dang
Pibulvech's contract.
Pibulvech was hired in 1999 to start the program from
scratch. He had a reputation for building soccer programs at Colorado College,
Washington and Texas, where he had a combined 188-97-1 record. In four seasons
at Nevada, Pibulvech posted an overall record of 12-58-2 and a WAC mark of
2-27-2.

Sunday, January 4, 2004
Boxers’ roster is truly
pacific in soccer
The 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.

Sunday, December 21, 2003
Iolani girls wrap
up college career
Shari Nishikawa and Jamie Shoma were teammates at Iolani
and continued that distinction for four more years with the Loyola
Marymount Lions.
"Shari and Jamie were fantastic players for us all
four years here at LMU," Lions coach Gregg Murphy said. "Jaime
played as an outside back and started for two of her four years. Jamie is
an awesome kid with a great personality and attitude. ... We will miss
her.
"Shari was first-team All-West Coast Conference as
a freshman and as a junior and was second-team this year as a senior. She
was our leading goal scorer this year as well as a team captain ... we
will obviously miss Shari as well!"
Nishikawa's 10 career assists and 28 career points ties
her for seventh place on the all-time LMU list. She scored nine goals in
her career.
Nishikawa was a starter in all but two of the Lions' 76
matches during her career. She led the team in points (12) and goals (5)
in 2003. Three of those goals were game-winners. In 2000 her teammates
voted her rookie of the year. This year she was voted offensive player of
the year.
Shoma saw action in 46 matches. Her defense helped LMU
reach national rankings in team shutouts and goals-against average during
her four years. She earned her first career assist as a freshman in a 3-2
win over Arizona.
Momi Markus was set to finally enjoy a banner season at
Northern Colorado when she tore her left ACL the first day of practice. A
1999 redshirt with a torn ACL, she tore the graft in the right ACL and
damaged the knee again early in the 2001 campaign that limited her to
eight matches in 2002.
The Iolani grad was the scoring star during spring
practice this year and coach Tim Barrera was expecting a lot from Markus
in the team's transition year to Division I.
"Momi had the strength and touch to play in really
tight spaces against bigger and stronger defenders," Barrera said.
"She would have given us a legitimate target player to play balls
into and let her hold it as we moved forward.
"She was poised to have a very productive year and
take on a leadership role, which made it even tougher when she went down
that first day, leaving a big hole in our front line.
"Momi has been one of the most-liked players on our
team through her years here. It has certainly been difficult at times with
all the injuries. She has been able to get out and help in the community,
serving as the junior varsity coach/assistant coach for Greeley West High
School last spring. In May, West won the 4A state championship, the first
ever for a girls team at Greeley West.
"Although her career was not what it could have
been here, Momi has definitely left her mark and we will miss her."
Duke honored
Duke Hashimoto has been named to the Missouri Valley
Conference Scholar-Athlete Team. The sophomore midfielder/striker for
Southern Methodist has a 3.58 grade point average with a major in
pre-political science.
Coaching news
Damon Gore resigned as Tulsa's head women's soccer coach.
In his five seasons the Golden Hurricane had a 42-45-8 record, 16-19-2 in
Western Athletic Conference play. Tulsa was only 1-4 against Hawaii, being
outscored 5-17. Rena Richardson has been hired to take Gore's place.

Sunday, December 14, 2003
DeHay helps dig
LSU out of mess
Jenny deHay played an important role in the Louisiana
State women's soccer program's return to respectability. The Kamehameha
grad started 34 of 75 matches for LSU during four seasons with the
Tigers.
"I didn't recruit Jenny. She was part of the
freshman class that was here when I took over the program, a program
that was at rock bottom coming off 0-18 and 4-15 seasons," said LSU
coach George Fotopoulos. "It was players like Jenny that made the
difference in resurrecting this program. The contributions of her class
were just phenomenal, to get to the SEC Tournament twice and have a
national ranking last year."
DeHay split time at the outside right midfield
position the last two years, coming off the bench in most matches, after
being primarily a starter her first two seasons.
"I had the honor and pleasure of coaching
Jenny," said Fotopoulos. "She did try to teach me some
Japanese, which was a bust, but she did get me hooked on sushi, which is
a lot different than Greek food."
DeHay scored five goals in her career, with a
game-winner her freshman year and another her senior year. The mass
communications major also had six assists. DeHay made the Southeastern
Conference academic honor roll as a junior.
The Tigers compiled a 44-28-7 record during deHay's
time in Baton Rouge.
Erin Sayegusa put together a solid, productive career
during her four seasons at Fresno State. She started 61 of 75 matches
for the Bulldogs. In her career, the striker from Kaiser took 133 shots
and had 10 assists, good for third on FSU's all-time lists.
The liberal studies major is fourth all-time with 16
goals, seven of them game-winners, and her 42 points is fifth best in
Bulldog history.
"I cannot say enough about her contributions to
our program," said FSU coach Stacy Welp. "Erin was a captain
this past season and has been a great leader on and off the field. She
has done extremely well in school with over a 3.0 GPA. Erin was active
in community service here with Little Heroes and Adopt-A-Player.
"On the field Erin started for four years and
will be hard to replace. She has a great technical ability and she sees
the game very well. She has scored some very important goals for us in
the clutch. We will miss terribly all of those qualities.
"I couldn't have asked for a better person,
student, and athlete to represent our program and our university."
Sayegusa is a three-time FSU and two-time Western
Athletic Conference scholar-athlete.
Congratulations
Kim Unten, a Pearl City graduate, helped New Mexico
Highlands (Las Vegas, N.M.) to a school-record eight wins in 2003. The
freshman striker was the second-leading scorer for the Cowgirls (8-9-1)
with six goals, three of them game-winners, and a team-leading eight
assists in 18 matches. She was selected for the all-league second team
and was seventh in the NCAA Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic
Conference in shots per match (3.39) and points (20).
Chela Gray is an All-Great Northwest Athletic
Conference honorable mention pick. Gray, an Iolani graduate and a
striker for NCAA Division II Western Washington, scored two goals and
had one assist for the 6-13-1 Vikings.

Sunday, March 10, 2002
ILH pair off to Holland
for spring ball
Spring vacation will be here soon and that means it is time for some of Hawaii's
outstanding young soccer players to gain international and national experience and
recognition.
Richard Higa and Steven Carlson will join the Olympic Development Program Region IV for
a trip to Holland.
"We going to Holland to play and train with the elite teams. The main purpose is
to train with them and get better," said Higa who plays for Mid-Pacific Institute and
the Honolulu Bulls Soccer Club.
Carlson, a club teammate and a striker for Punahou, will be playing right fullback for
the region team. He missed all but one match of the recent Interscholastic League of
Honolulu season with a broken left thumb.
"It happened in the last match of the Disney Showcase Shootout in Florida during
Christmas vacation," said Carlson. "I was pretty happy when I was invited to go
to Holland."
Both players have been in the region pool for three years. All their expenses are
covered by the ODP program.
"That's one of the reasons I'm going," said Higa. "My dream is to go and
play in the big leagues in Europe some day. This is my chance to show a little bit
there."
Carlson traveled to Europe with a Bulls team two years ago and both players have
competed for the Bulls in mainland tournaments.
Two Bulls teams will compete in the Nomads Tournament in San Diego. The Under-17 boys
play March 22-24 and the Under-18 girls participate March 29-31.
This is a showcase tournament attended by 200-plus college coaches. There are six
fields and the area between pairs of fields is restricted to college coaches.
"You can't miss them. They are all sitting there in their little chairs,"
said Phil Neddo, Bulls director of coaching, who will be assisted by Craig Nosse with the
girls and Ray Shiraishi with the boys.
The boys roster includes Max Anton, Carlson, Makena Carr, Mitchel Fu, John Garibaldi,
Duke Hashimoto, Higa, Kurt Kahui, Chris Major, Christian Marston, Shane McConnell, Satoshi
Mitsuda, Timmy Picerno, David Semenza, Scottie Shiraishi, Brandon Tario and Dyrk Teramae.
The girls playing in San Diego are Ashlee Doi, Audrey Ehrhorn, Mallory Iha, Kara
Ishikawa, Mari Kasamoto, Eryn Kishimoto, Allison Lipsher, Jennifer Loo, Charlene Lui,
Kayla Oshiro, Jennifer Proudfoot, Lori Sakai, Tiffany Todo, Liane Tom, Romy Trigg-Smith,
Seline Williams and Lindsay Yuh.
Villaflor to be a Don
Ben Villaflor Jr. has signed a letter of intent to play for the University of San
Francisco Dons. He enrolled this semester after attending a junior college in the fall.
"He was playing for the Newport Slammers in the California Soccer League last
fall. That's where I was able to observe and scout Ben," said USF coach Erik Visser.
"He strong, has good athletic ability, is calm in collecting the ball in traffic
and distributes the ball well.
"My experience with Hawaiian kids has been great. They are hard working, dedicated
and, if you care for them, they will go to bat for you."

Sunday, February 24, 2002
Mililani pulls off rare feat
Congratulations to James Uson and Jeff Yamamoto for guiding the Mililani High School
girls and boys, respectively, to the Oahu Interscholastic Association and Hawaii High
School Athletic Association state tournament soccer titles.
It is the first time a public school ever accomplished this and the first time since
Punahou did it in 1998. Prior to that, Iolani in 1987 and Punahou in 1983, '85 and '86
were the only double winners.
Uson, who played for Leilehua when Wendell Staszkow coached the Mules, has been the
Trojans head coach for six seasons. He served Mililani as an assistant for eight years
after four years at Kaiser.
His assistants are younger brother John, Dennis Sanders and Ray Akiona.
Uson has a good core group returning led by state tournament all stars, goalkeeper Eryn
Kishimoto and defenders Jen Loo and Mallory Iha.
Yamamoto played on the Seabury Hall club team in the Maui Men's League and collegiately
for the Pacific (Ore.) Boxers. He has led the Trojans boys for eight years and sees more
good things happening in the future.
"I think we will get better because of the youth programs outside the school. We
have great leaders with the Mililani Soccer Club and work closely with them,"
Yamamoto said.
His assistants this year were Steve McGehee, Norman Beter and Joshua Rolf.
Yamamoto, who runs a conditioning program for any player interested during the summer,
is an engineer with the Navy. Uson works for UPS at the Honolulu Airport.
Keeping in touch
Andrew Brown (Mililani) won the starting goalkeeper's job for the Creighton Bluejays as
a sophomore. He gave up 26 goals in 1,598 minutes of action for a 1.46 goals allowed
average, made 64 saves and posted for shutouts. The Bluejays qualified for their tenth
consecutive NCAA Tournament.
The Western Oregon Wolves received solid contributions from four Hawaii players en
route to the co-championship with Seattle University of the Great Northwest Conference.
Moani Mundo, a sophomore goalkeeper from Castle had a 1.72 goals allowed average in 17
matches with 96 saves and four shutouts. She missed three matches with a knee injury.
Erin Ota, a freshman midfielder from Maryknoll, scored three goals and had four assists
in 20 matches.
Julia Takashita, a freshman defender from Kailua High School scored once and assisted
on another goals in 145 matches.
Carly Mamizuka,a freshman defender from Kahuku High School scored one goal in the 10
matches she played.
Chris Pagoyo returned to the soccer field this year after playing football for four
seasons for the Bethel College (Kansas) Threshers.
"He started about two-thirds of our games as a wing defender. Not having played
much soccer in recent years, he was a bit rusty, but overall did a good job," said
Bethel coach Gerry Sieber.
Doug Crowley, a junior midfielder from Punahou, played in 12 matches and found the net
once for the 9-7-2 Emory University Eagles.
Jennifer Hall, a freshman striker from Kaiser, played in nine matches for the Whitworth
Pirates (7-10-1), who tied for fourth place in the Northwest Conference. She took six
shots, but did not score.

Sunday, January 27, 2002
Otagaki hopes to coach
to give back
ERIN Otagaki relaxes at home now, four years of soccer with the Washington Huskies
behind her, a degree in English in hand and planning where to attend graduate school to
obtain a master's degree in education.
Recruited by UW coach Lesle Gallimore following graduation from Punahou in 1997,
Otagaki tore the ACL in her left knee the first day of practice her freshman season and
redshirted. She recovered and slowly became a contributor.
"I was nervous my freshman year, being away from home and the comforts for the
first time, but I got to know the players right away and they provided a lot of
support," Otagaki said. "It made the transition easy. I can't tell you how much
I loved the experience. UW has such a tradition of excellence in academics and
athletics."
Coming off her best season as a junior, Otagaki was hit by the injury bug again this
season, spraining her right ankle and not getting back into action until the final 12
matches.
Her career totals included 50 matches in which the 5-foot striker took 50 shots, scored
10 goals, including two game winners this past fall, and had six assists. She played on
NCAA Tournament teams the last three years.
Otagaki says she wants to get into coaching after completing her education.
"I worked the summer camps at Washington. Coaching is a way to stay in touch with
the sport and give back," she said.
Gallimore said, "Erin is a fun player to watch. Her craftiness on the ball, her
innovation and creativity is unlike anybody's on our team."
Shaina Nishimoto, Otagaki's cousin and former Punahou teammate, finished four years of
varsity competition for the Loyola Marymount Lions.
Nishimoto developed into one of the more solid defenders in the West Coast Conference.
She started 46 of the 65 matches she played for LMU.
A psychology major and business minor, Nishimoto plans to pursue a career in law.
LMU sophomore teammates, midfielder Shari Nishimoto and defender Jamie Shona, both
Iolani grads, saw action in 15 and 12 matches, respectively. Nishimoto scored twice on 12
shots and had two assists.
MOMI MARKUS redshirted this year at Northern Colorado after having ACL surgery last
spring. The Iolani alumnus has three years of eligibility left. As a freshman, Markus
played in 16 matches, scored seven goals, and her shooting percentage (.212) was
second-best for the NCAA Division II Bears.
Lynnsey Ho, a freshman striker from Aiea H.S., played two matches for the Cal State
Hayward Pioneers before a reoccurring injury to her right knee forced her to redshirt.
"Lynnsey fit in really well with the team and she made leis for all our graduating
seniors," said coach Amy Foreman.
Kristin Masunaga began the season injured at Colorado College. The junior goalkeeper
from Iolani was not able to regain the starting job she held as a sophomore, playing just
28 minutes in one match.
Sarah Rothbaum, a sophomore from Punahou, missed the season at Pepperdine after
suffering her second consecutive ACL tear in the right knee.

Sunday, January 13, 2002
Sword leaves AYSO
bigger than ever
Max Sword stepped down as the State Director of the American Youth Soccer Organization
last May, but all that meant was he glided into semi-retirement.
Hawaii is hosting the 2002 AYSO National Games July 8-14 at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer
Park.
This is the "semi" part of Sword's retirement. He receives e-mails daily from
mainland teams indicating they are ready to spend a week in the 50th state.
"Unfortunately, each AYSO region is guaranteed so many berths in the National
Games, so I have a waiting list a mile long," said Sword.
There are 192 tournament slots for teams in the Under 12 to Under 19 age brackets.
Sword said this is the first time every slot is filled.
Teams committed to coming are from Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida,
Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.
Because of the overwhelming interest by mainland teams, Sword dropped the idea of
inviting international teams.
During his six-year tenure as director, AYSO registrations increased 3 to 5 percent
each year with the total number of registered players increasing from 19,000 to about
25,000.
The first region was established on Lanai, an additional region began operating on Maui
and two new regions were set up on the Big Island.
Sword instituted section meetings on all islands so the neighbor island region leaders
would have more of a say in planning.
This led to a more cohesive and united organization dedicated to Hawaii's youth and the
sport of soccer.
At a time when such a move is unheard of in some states, Sword established a working
relationship with the Hawaii Youth Soccer Organization by offering to coordinate schedules
and field use and meeting to discuss common concerns.
They Moved On
Kelly Keohen transferred to Cal State Fullerton for her senior season after three years
with the Hawaii Wahine. She started 19 matches for the 13-7-0 Titans, Big West Conference
title holders. Keohen took seven shots, but did not score.
Amanda Orand and K.C. Cornett transferred to Oregon and Oklahoma City, respectively,
after two seasons at UH.
Orand played in 11 matches as a reserve and recorded one assist for the 8-8-2 Ducks.
Cornett scored 12 goals and had one assist in the first 12 matches for the Stars, then
became ill and withdrew from school but returned this semester.
Stephanie Pearson, Wahine backup goalkeeper as a freshman in 1999, was the third-string
'keeper for San Diego State this year, playing 24 minutes, 46 seconds in one match.
Congratulations
Kaleo Benz is the Hawaii State Referee of the Year.
Benz was selected for his organizational work with the Men's Island Soccer
Organization. He has been the assignor since the league was formed.
Benz encountered numerous difficulties and many times was at the field all day
officiating several games himself. Today, the league is viable, competitive and Benz's
perseverance and hard work paid off.

Sunday, December 30, 2001
Local players found
success on mainland
THE parade of accomplishments by Hawaii's soccer players competing for mainland schools
continues this week as we head into the new year, one I hope is better in some way for
everyone in our community.
Christine Gouthro played in all 17 matches for the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Fightin' Engineers. The senior midfielder from Kauai High school scored twice and had two
assists.
In 52 career matches, the mechanical engineering major scored six goals on 34 of 67
shots on goal and recorded seven assists.
Gouthro's last assist in the final match of the season came on the game-winning goal as
Rose-Hulman beat Sewanee, 1-0, in double overtime. It was the Fightin' Engineers eighth
win of the season, the most in their three-year history.
"Christine was the perfect captain for a young team and led by example. She worked
hard and always finished first in conditioning drills and fitness tests," said
Rose-Hulman coach Brad Hauter. "She kept things light and fun, but we were a much
different team when she was on the field."
Erin Sayegusa picked up the offensive slack for the Fresno State Bulldogs after top
scorer Jill Pearson graduated.
Sayegusa (Kaiser) led the 8-10 Bulldogs with 13 points on five goals and three assists.
Her 29 shots on goal and 41 attempts were team bests.
Jenny deHay, a sophomore defender from Kamehameha, started 14 of 18 matches for the
7-8-3 Louisiana State Tigers. She took 12 shots and hit the back of the net once.
Twin sister Robyn, a striker, played in nine matches for 15-4-2 Stanford. She had an
assist and scored one goal, a game winner on a head shot against Arizona.
BUCKY JENCKS (Punahou), a freshman defender for Bowdoin College, scored a goal and had
four assists for the 10-5-1 Bears.
Nate Adams, a senior from Iolani, posted four shutouts and had a 1.33 goals allowed
average as the goalkeeper for the 12-7-1 Bradley Braves.
Alon Rohter (Waldorf School), a senior midfielder for Macalester College in St. Paul,
Minn., scored five goals and had two assists for the 12-4-2 Scots, who won the Minnesota
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title with a 10-0 record. The Scots were ousted in the
second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Michael Semenza started all 15 matches for the 7-8 Willamette Bearcats. The junior
striker from Punahou was the second highest scorer with five goals, including two game
winners. His shots on goal average (.571 on 16 of 28) also was second best.
Tiffany Sabado, a striker from Castle, ended her career at Arizona playing 50 matches
in which she scored seven goals and had three assists for the Wildcats.
Midfielder Nicole Garbin (Baldwin) finished her freshman season at Oregon with five
goals (four game winners) and five assists.
Jessica Catekista started 18 matches for the 18-1-1 Regis Rangers. The senior
midfielder from Kamehameha put 10 of her 17 shots on goal, scoring once. She also had two
assists. Regis' lone defeat came in the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament.

Sunday, December 16, 2001
Dydasco was pioneer for
Hawaii in pros
Millie Dydasco holds a distinction I unknowingly attributed to another female soccer
player a few columns ago.
The 1982 Castle High School graduate was the first woman from Hawaii to play
professional soccer, first in Japan and later in Brazil.
Dydasco played four years for San Francisco State University, returned home for several
years and returned to San Francisco in 1991. She played club soccer and became quite
involved in coaching elite youth teams.
A club teammate had played in Japan, so Dydasco inquired about the possibilities and
was intrigued when she received a positive answer.
"I paid my own way to Japan, tried out, then returned to California and waited for
a telephone call," Dydasco said.
Shiroki Serena called and Dydasco spent a season playing for a first division team.
"They paid my way over and reimbursed me for my ticket when I tried out,"
Dydasco said. "My year there truly was an experience for me at age 30.
"They asked me to play another year. But, we lived in the team clubhouse, a lot of
things were repetitious and I knew when I started looking at my watch, it wasn't fun
anymore."
Knowing she could make a living coaching in California, she returned. A couple years
later she was spotted by a Brazilian scout while practicing with her club team.
The University of Sao Paulo needed someone to play the second half of the season
because of injuries.
"I told myself, 'why not,'" Dydasco said. "Brazilian soccer is the most
appealing style of soccer and it was my opportunity to be a part of it. It was day and
night compared to Japan. If practice was supposed to start at 1 p.m., it could be anywhere
from 1 to 3 p.m.
"There were a lot of unwritten rules. It was an eye opener, but a lot of fun. I
loved it."
She played against some Brazilian National Team members, including Sisi. One of her
teammates was Nene.
Dydasco still coaches select and Olympic Development Program teams in California.
"I enjoy giving back. I'll never forget what (Castle coach) Mark Kane has done for
me," Dydasco said.
College booters
Striker Dana Dydasco, Millie's niece, overcame nagging foot injuries to play in every
match her senior year for the 5-11-2 Cal State Sacramento Hornets. The Mililani graduate
scored twice and put 10 of her 18 shots on goal.
Redshirt freshman Karalee Narimatsu and true freshman Jennifer Iha, both former Trojan
midfielders, performed well in 16 and 18 matches, respectively, for the Hornets.
Noelani Kamelamela was a backup to Massachusetts Institute of Technology starting
goalkeeper Connie Yang this season. Kamelamela, a Kamehameha graduate, saw 120 minutes of
action over several matches, allowing just one goal for the 16-6 Engineers.
"She has been a tremendous addition, improved in her first season with the team,
and my guess is she has a good chance of challenging the starting goalkeeper for the job
next year," coach Melissa Hart said.
Alisa Sato, who sat out her freshman year with injuries, got into eight matches for
Harvard. The sophomore striker from Iolani took three shots without scoring for the 11-5
Crimson.

Sunday, December 9, 2001
Alfiler becomes the
best in NAIA
Andrea Alfiler, a midfielder for Azusa Pacific, capped her collegiate soccer career by
being named the NAIA Women''s Player of the Year.
It is the third time she has received first-team NAIA All-American honors.
The Kapaa High School grad has been invited to participate in 2002 Umbro Select
All-Star Classic featuring the top collegiate women's soccer players from around the
nation.
Alfiler also was named to the all-tournament team at the 18th annual NAIA National
Women's Tournament. She tied for the assist lead with two and was second in total points
with six. Azusa Pacific was eliminated by Oklahoma City in a semifinal match on penalty
kicks after a double overtime 2-2 tie.
The senior started 86 of 88 matches for the Cougars and finishes her career with 22
goals on 137 shots and 21 assists.
Alfiler, the 2001 Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year, is not the first
player from Hawaii to win that award.
Jennifer Wills, an Iolani alumnus, was named GSAC Player of the Year in 1995 while
playing for Westmont College. She was an all-GSAC pick in 1994 and 1997, but was slowed by
a severe ankle injury in 1996.
Wills also was an honorable mention NAIA All-American and was named to the NAIA
All-Tournament team in 1997.
She is sixth on Westmont's career lists for goals (36), assists (21) and points (93).
More honors
Starr Johnson (Punahou), has been named to the Pacific-10 Conference All-Academic first
team for the second consecutive season. The four-year letter winner from Kailua has a 3.70
grade point average and is majoring in ethnic studies. Johnson anchored the Ducks defense
and scored her only two collegiate goals this year.
Chalise Baysa, who was born in Honolulu and spent her early years on Kauai, concluded
her career as Oregon's all-time leader in points (69) and goals scored (31). She was an
all-Pacific 10 Conference second team pick as a freshman, sophomore and senior.
Chelsea Akimoto, a midfielder for the Notre Dame de Namur University Argonauts in
Belmont, Calif., was an NAIA All-American honorable mention selection. She is a freshman
from Iolani.
Micah Sadoyama, a senior defender for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags, is a first team
all-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection. Sadoyama is an
Iolani graduate.
Gary Cabanilla, a senior striker for California Lutheran and Kamehameha graduate, was
chosen for the all-SCIAC second team.
Leilani Green from Maui High School, also was a second-team pick on the all-SCIAC
women's team. She is a senior striker for California Lutheran.
Gabby Ahmadia has been named to the 2001 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's
Academic All-Star Team. The junior midfielder from Waiakea High School maintains a 3.40
grade point average as a biology major.
Shaye Anderson (Parker), a junior goalkeeper, played 18 matches for the Western
Washington Vikings. She had a 1.26 goals allowed average for the 9-10-1 Vikings and was a
second-team, all GNAC selection.

Sunday, November 4, 2001
3 local players finish
careers at Cal Lutheran
Gary Cabanilla, Leilani Green and Tiffany Kayama concluded their collegiate careers for
California Lutheran last weekend and men's and women's coach Dan Kuntz wants the Hawaii
connection to continue.
"The cultural aspects Hawaii players bring to a team are special," Kuntz said.
"They are sincere, kind hearted, committed, loyal to who they come to play for and
work very hard."
Cabanilla, a senior striker from Kamehameha, led the Kingsmen (8-10-0) in scoring this
year with 10 goals.
"Gary worked harder than ever to get prepared for the season," said Kuntz.
"He is very dangerous on set plays because he is so strong and tall (6-foot-2). He
has a wicked throw in, about 55 yards. It's like getting a corner kick from any where in
the offensive half of the field."
Kuntz said Green, a senior striker from Maui High School, as an extremely intelligent
soccer player who creates confusion in the defense and runs well with or without the ball.
"Lani is a diamond in every way she projects herself, no not only in her playing but
the way she interacts with her teammates. She is there when needed most. We were very
fortunate to have her," said Kuntz.
Green, a second team all-Southern California Interscholastic Athletic Conference selection
as a sophomore and junior, scored three goals and had three assists for the Regals
(10-8-1), who finished second in conference play.
Kayama, also from Maui high School, split time in the goal with Pam Clark.
"Tiffany is one of the most dedicated players I've ever had. I don't think she missed
more than 15 minutes of practice in her four years here," said Kuntz.
"She isn't as tall or as dominating as some goalkeepers, but she is agile and
intelligent. Her distribution of the ball was consistent. When we needed her, it was often
in critical situations."
Alana Souza, a freshman midfielder from Baldwin, sat out the early part of the Regals
season with a strained right knee, but was impressive when cleared to play.
"That one is 'wow.' We knew Alana could play, but we were being very cautious. It was
hard for her," said Kuntz.
"When she began playing she was on fire, first-touch passing as good as we have on
the team. Being a left-footed player make her even more dangerous. She is a wonderful
talent for the future."
Cal Lutheran is an NCAA Division II school in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Elsewhere
Senior defender Trisha Barbosa had as assist as Williams College defeated Framingham
State, 9-0, Wednesday in an NCAA Division III tournament first-round match. Barbosa is a
Punahou graduate.
Jessica Catekista, a senior midfielder from Kamehameha, scored her first goal of the
season last Sunday to preserve the Regis Rangers undefeated season. She scored at 52:18 in
a 1-1 tie with Colorado Christian.
Sean Akamine saw action in all 19 matches for the Puget Sound Loggers (11-7-1). The
freshman striker from Punahou scored two goals with 17 shots and recorded two assists.

Sunday, October 21, 2001
Miller takes head
spot for Mililani
Ric Miller says it is his job to keep the ship sailing straight as director of coaching
for the Mililani Soccer Club.
Miller ascended to the post when Bob Barry, his high school coach and long-time mentor,
resigned to assume the same position with the Volcanos Soccer Club in Kailua.
It was a natural move for Miller, a 44-year-old stock broker who has lived in Mililani
for some time.
"Bob Barry did a terrific job and put a lot of things in place. Every Mililani SC
coach is licensed. I want to continue that process and encourage our coaches to obtain
more advanced licenses," said Miller, who holds an advanced national coaching
license.
"I'm impressed with how much the parents sacrifice."
The club has over 500 players and 33 teams which are broken into competitive,
recreational and developmental to meet the needs of players with varying degrees of skill.
Miller learned soccer in Germany where his father was in the military.
This early start gave him an advantage over local players when he helped Iolani claim
the first two state titles while winning Interscholastic League of Honolulu scoring
crowns.
He went to Seattle Pacific, playing for the legendary Cliff McCrath, and was part of
the 1978 NCAA Division II national championship team.
Drafted by Seattle in 1980, he played a season for the Sounders in the North American
Soccer League, then a year for the San Francisco Gales in the American Soccer League,
before finishing his degree in business finance.
Returning to Hawaii, Miller continued to play in the local adult leagues for several
years.
He began coaching when a co-worker asked him to help her husband's youth team.
"I found out just because you played your whole life, it doesn't mean you can
coach," Miller said. "I called a lot of people I respect, Bob Barry, Bob Clague,
McCrath, to find out about coaching.
"A couple of weeks later, Bob Clague asked me if I want to coach at Punahou. I
thought about the Iolani-Punahou thing and what my classmates would say, but it was great
for me.
"My goal is to help improve the quality of soccer i |