Wahine still looking
for a WAC win

By Al Chase
Star-Bulletin

Four points.

Based on two for a victory and one for a tie, that's all University of Hawaii women's soccer coach Pinsoom Tenzing figured the Wahine needed to qualify for the Western Athletic Conference postseason tournament.

Despite outshooting Utah and Brigham Young at home last week, the Wahine have yet to score in a Pacific Division match. The opportunity to secure those four points is rapidly diminishing.

UH plays division rival San Diego State today and has a nonconference match against NCAA Division III UC San Diego Sunday on its third road trip of the season.

"We need the big guns to find their bullets," Tenzing said.

Unfortunately, two of those big guns are hurting. Striker Tricia Nishikawa injured her right instep (her shooting foot) and midfielder Jennifer Hamm injured her right leg (her best shooting leg). They will both play.

Defender Tui Moe, who replaces injured sweeper Denise Tsukada, is nursing a bruised left foot.

The Wahine (6-7-1 overall, 0-2 WAC) are 0-2 in matches with the Aztecs (6-4-1, 1-1).

"San Diego State is very solid. . . . Like most mainland teams, they have depth," Tenzing said.

The Aztecs feature first-team All-WAC selections Catherine McGuire (five goals and five assists) and Lori LaCousiere (seven goals and five assists).

UC San Diego (9-1-0) is the defending Division II champion, winning 21 of 22 matches last year. The Tritons won all three matches they played in Hawaii Pacific University's Kick-Off Classic in September.

TSUKADA UPDATE: Out for last week's matches with a sprained medial collateral ligament, Tsukada will not make the road trip, but has been cleared by her physician to start running again and hopes to rejoin the team at practice next week.

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http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu