Southern Methodist has Wahine's number

By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer

Southern Methodist doesn't need a full complement of players to be successful, and the Mustangs' Kim Harvey is one of the few in the country who can make a strike from 40 yards seem like a high-percentage shot.

Southern Methodist's Misty Noland, right, tries to slow Hawai'i's high-scoring forward Arlene Devitt during the first half. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

The Western Athletic Conference women's soccer match was seen by a school-record crowd of 2,488 at the Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

SMU improved to 10-3 overall and 5-0 in the WAC. Hawai'i dropped to 5-8 and 2-2.

Harvey's blast looked harmless when it left her foot, but the ball managed to travel below the crossbar and just above the outstretched arm of Hawai'i goal keeper Jennifer Churchill.

"She's done that every now and then," SMU coach George Van Linder said. "It was a fantastic goal and you couldn't ask for anything nicer."

Harvey made a similar shot in a 2-1 win over Miami (Ohio) Aug. 31.

"The first game of the season I had the winning goal in overtime and it was from about 40 yards out," Harvey said.

The Mustangs went down a player at 30:51 when goal keeper Erin McLeod touched the ball with her hands in front of the penalty box as Wahine forward Arlene Devitt was closing in on her. McLeod was given a red card and was ejected from the match.

"I didn't see it," Van Linder said. "Our players were saying it was another player (who touched it). My players didn't think so and they're usually pretty straight up about it."

McLeod took off her jersey and gave it to forward Lorrie Tipton.

"She (Tipton) is usually a field player," Van Linder said. "We only had enough money in the budget to bring one keeper."

Erin Schremser took the ensuing free kick from 21 yards out and her shot deflected off the crossbar.

Despite playing with 10 players, the Mustangs controlled possession and created scoring opportunities. It was the first time this season the Mustangs played short-handed.

"We thought if we could keep the threat on them it would be a better way for us to win the game," said Van Linder, whose team outshot the Wahine, 31-14.

"We didn't play well at all I thought," said Hawai'i coach Pinsoom Tenzing. "We had the numerical superiority, but they were pushing the ball around. We needed to push the ball around. We talked about it at halftime, but we didn't do it."

SMU struck first on a goal by Sarah Harvey, Kim's older sister, off an assist from Erin MacCallum at 8:36.

Hawai'i tied the score on a header by Liz Lusk off a corner kick by Krystalynn Ontai at 59:37.

"That's a choreographed run we do in practices," Tenzing said. "Liz just runs through and Krystalynn Ontai tries to get the ball."

SMU's Tara Comfort added an insurance goal from 15 yards out at 84:51.

The previous school attendance record was 1,772, set Sept. 3, 2000, against Oregon State.

A drummer and a few trumpet players from the UH band played during the match, which gave it a bit of a World Cup atmosphere.

"It's grand, but I feel sorry for the fans because we didn't play well," Tenzing said.