Castle alum Mundo solid in goal for Western Oregon
By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer
In two winters in Oregon, Moani Mundo has become a passionate snowboarder. Her friends can't keep her away from Mt. Hood and Mt. Bachelor.
But her No. 1 passion is still keeping soccer balls outside the nets she defends, just like it was in 2000, when Mundo was an all-state goalkeeper at Castle High School.
Mundo, now a junior at Western Oregon University, was chosen women's soccer Player of the Week Monday for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. She made nine saves Sunday as the Wolves sprung a 2-1 upset at University of California-Davis, which was unbeaten and ranked No. 9 in NCAA Division II.
"They were pressuring us, making line-drive crosses in front of the goal, and Moani deflected several crosses before they got to their target," Western Oregon coach Rod Fretz said.
"A couple of times in the first half, she came out on players one-on-one and basically took the ball off their feet. She knows when to go."
Two days earlier Mundo shut out Sonoma State (Calif.) 2-0, also on the road, and earlier last month she blanked conference favorite and defending co-champion Seattle, 4-0, again on the road.
"Moani plays as good as I've seen any goalkeeper in this region play," Fretz said. "She has an excellent read of the play, covers so much of the goal and has such quick reaction time."
Mundo was chosen first-team all-conference by coaches last season. She ranks second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with a 0.97 goals-against average.
Sophomore Erin Ota (Maryknoll '01 of Kane'ohe) has started every game of her career at Western Oregon at outside midfielder. "One-on-one, she's our most creative offensive player," Fretz said.
Western Oregon leads the conference with a 4-1 record.
San Francisco
Senior forward Jodie Tanga (Iolani '99, of Kailua) scored the only goal Sunday as USF defeated UC Riverside on the road to improve to 6-1-1 — the team's best start since 1994.
Tanga's first goal of the season ended Riverside's string of 564 scoreless defensive minutes.
Tanga, who is coming off an ankle injury, is philosophical. "The best advice I could give to youngsters is that there is no such word as 'impossible,' " she said.
Perseverance is paying off for another USF player from Hawai'i, defender Randi Kikuchi (Seabury Hall '01, of Wailuku).
Kikuchi, a 5-foot-1 walk-on who was cut last year, made the squad this season and has started the last two games because of injuries in the Dons' backfield. "I was happy how our defense responded (at Riverside) and I thought Randi Kikuchi really stepped it up when we needed her the most," coach Pamela Kalinoski said.
Azusa Pacific (Calif.)
Women's coach Jason Surrell was unhappy with his team's inability to score Saturday night so she turned to the bench and called on freshman Julie Broussard (Mililani '02) for only the second time this season.
Six minutes later, Broussard responded with her first two collegiate goals within 53 seconds to spark Azusa Pacific to a 3-1 victory over Alliant International of San Diego.
"The second goal was a beauty — a cross to the middle, and a one-touch header into the side netting," said team spokesman Micah McDaniel.
"She came in tonight and did great for us," Surrell said. "She can make things happen."
Another freshman from Mililani, all-state player Jolie Nitta, has started every game at center midfielder for Azusa Pacific. "(Coach Surrell) is very pleased with her performance," McDaniel said.
Humboldt State (Calif.)
Senior striker Gabby Ahmadia (Waiakea '99) scored three goals and had two assists last week in a 5-0 victory over Southern Oregon.
Ahmadia has five goals in the Lumberjacks' first nine matches and leads team scoring with 12 points. She has made 54.2 percent of her 13 shots on goal.
Freshman Taryn Jim (Mililani '01) has played in every game for Humboldt State after transferring from Iowa State, where she did not play.
Pacific (Oregon)
Sophomore midfielder Joni Kaitoku (Iolani '01, of Mililani) scored three goals and had an assist as the Boxers cruised to a 6-1 Northwest Conference victory over George Fox last week.
Kaitoku has four goals and two assists and leads Pacific in scoring with 10 points. She shares the team goal-scoring (4) and shots attempted (17) lead with all-Northwest Conference junior forward Moani Lau (Kamehameha '00). Sophomore midfielder Kaleinani Titcomb (Kamehameha '01, of Kailua) also starts and had two assists in the George Fox game.
Nine of Pacific's 20 players are from Hawai'i, including junior midfielder Shanell Kawasaki (Kamehameha '99, of Waipahu), sophomore defenders Kasey Chun (Maryknoll '01, of Kane'ohe) and Mariel Kim (Punahou), and freshmen Karley Peterson (Leilehua '02), Kari Hata (Maryknoll, of 'Ewa Beach) and Alison Buccat (Maryknoll, of Kane'ohe).
Robin Park (Pearl City '96), a two-time all-conference defender for Pacific (1998-99), is an assistant coach.
