UH coach Tenzing upset over spat with Fresno St.

By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer

University of Hawai'i women's soccer coach Pinsoom Tenzing has confirmed one of his players spat on a Fresno State player last Friday, but he's upset with what the Bulldogs told a reporter after the game.

TENZING

DEVITT

After the game, Kai said she wasn't the culprit, but confirmed a Fresno State player was spat on.

Esparza later said Arlene Devitt spat on her "15 times."

"I think there were rather outlandish accusations on the other side because, one, you make an accusation and name the wrong person and you're standing over there and telling the whole world how wrong this kid is and you have the wrong kid in mind," Tenzing said.

"If there is any other kid you make a mistake about I could understand, but Natasha Kai is one of the most famous players in the WAC and to mistake her for someone else is ludicrous and to come up with 15 events of this, I think that is also outrageous."

Welp said she confused Kai and Devitt.

"Yes, I did get Kai and Devitt confused as Kai was also antagonizing Regina," Welp said in an e-mail sent to The Advertiser yesterday. "Just go back to the video of the game and you can see Natasha taunting Regina during the same time that Arlene spit. It was difficult to tell from the bench because both were at our defenders while the ball was nowhere near them."

As far as Esparza being spat on 15 times, Welp said: "Being as upset as she was, she probably did exaggerate the amount of times she was spit on. Regardless, it was certainly more than once."

Tenzing said Devitt spat on a Bulldogs player once and it was in retaliation.

Tenzing suspended Devitt, the team's second-leading goal scorer, for Sunday's 5-0 win over San Jose State because of the incident.

"Arlene said it was one time and in retaliation to what happened to her first," Tenzing said. "Still, actions like that are not condoned and she sat out because of that."

Devitt said footage from K5, the local station that televised the game, might show Esparza spitting on her.

"Run the cameras again, replay K5, pretty sure you'll see the girl spitting on me," she said.

Welp said: "I discussed the incident with Regina and she said that she did not retaliate back by spitting."

Welp said her team is trying to put the incident behind.

"From our standpoint here, the incident is over and there is no need to make it bigger than it was," she said.

The Rainbows' final regular-season game will be Monday against BYU at Waipi'o.

Devitt and Mia Moe are the only seniors on the UH roster.

The Rainbows will then head to the WAC Tournament in Dallas, Nov. 6 to 8.

Hawai'i will receive a first-round bye for the tournament and likely end up as the second seed behind SMU.

The Rainbows, who have won six consecutive games, have already set a school record for most victories (13-4-1) in a season and most conference wins (7-1). Eleven of the wins have come by shutout.

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8041.