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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, October 28, 2005

Aloha means good-bye for five

By Leila Wai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i seniors, clockwise from upper left, Natalie Groenewoud, Mahie Atay, Ashley Chaffin, Natasha Kai and Emily Rose will play their final home matches of the season this weekend. "Some didn't get any playing time, others were critical to our success, like Natasha Kai," Hawai'i coach Pinsoom Tenzing said. "But they are all wonderful kids."

REBECCA BREYER | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Mahie Atay

Goalkeeper, Wailuku, Maui

What she’ll take from the experience: “My freshman year, coming in and already having friends, and making new ones. We got along so easily.”

Favorite memory: “Coach Josh (Fouts) made it really fun. He’s super funny and keeps everything light.”

How she’ll feel on Senior Day: “Happy, very excited.”

Graduation day: December ’06, Hawaiian Studies

What’s next: Getting master’s in Hawaiian Studies.

Ashley Chaffin

Defender, Elk Grove, Calif.

What she’ll take from the experience: “I just think it’s a great bunch of girls. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to spend my time away from home with.”

Favorite memory: “So much has happened in four years, it’s hard to pull out one memory.”

How she’ll feel on Senior Day: “I don’t think it will hit me until it’s all over. It’s exciting, but sad.”

Graduation day: May ’06, Spanish

What’s next: “Hoping to go to medical school.” As for her major in Spanish? “Being from California, I figured it would come in handy.”

Natalie Groenewoud

Midfielder, N. Vancouver, Canada

What she’ll take from the experience: “Just playing in the stadium, in front of all those people.”

Favorite memory: “That goal against Boise State (when she chest-trapped the ball and volleyed it into the goal on her first touch). That’s my fondest recent memory, that’s for sure.”

How she’ll feel on Senior Day: “I’m definitely going to feel a little sad when it’s all over. It’s been amazing. I’m excited for the rest of the girls to continue their careers and hopefully have as good a time as I did.”

Graduation day: December ’05, biology and botany

What’s next: Return to Canada and continue school.

Natasha Kai

Forward, Kahuku

What she’ll take from the experience: “Playing with my sister (Krisha) in front of my family.”

Favorite memory: “Scoring goals when me and my sister connected, either I give it to her or she gives it to me.”

How she’ll feel on Senior Day: “I’ve been playing soccer for four years nonstop, and all of a sudden I’m going to be done.”

Graduation day: ’06, sociology

What’s next: Playing professionally “anything to play soccer.”

Emily Rose

Defender, Petaluma, Calif.

What she’ll take from the experience: “Probably the practices; coming out to practice every day with people I love to hang out with. It was like having 20-something sisters and friends.”

Favorite memory: “This year when I started a Division I game for the first time. I didn’t even know I was starting. As soon as my name was called I was nervous. It’s a neat feeling, slapping everyone’s hands and sprinting to the middle of the field.”

How she’ll feel on Senior Day: “It’ll be definitely sad because college soccer will be over, but it will be exciting.”

Graduation day: December ’06, meteorology, minor in math.

What’s next: Graduate school.

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As she reflected upon her time as a key member of the University of Hawai'i women's soccer team, a tear came to her eye.

But her next words seemed more fitting of a player who has put the fear into opposing goalkeepers for the past four years.

"Tasha Kai don't cry."

Hawai'i senior Natasha Kai is full of contradictions: She has a soft spot for her family, yet shows no mercy toward opponents.

And Sunday, she'll say aloha. "I'll probably cry," she says, "but it will be happy tears."

Kai will play her last two home games this weekend, as the Rainbow Wahine meet Nevada tonight at 7 and Fresno State Sunday at 5 p.m. to close out the Western Athletic Conference regular season. Both games are at the Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

Kai will join goalkeeper Mahie Atay, midfielder Natalie Groenewoud and defenders Emily Rose and Ashley Chaffin in saying good-bye Sunday.

"Some didn't get any playing time, others were critical to our success, like Natasha Kai," Hawai'i coach Pinsoom Tenzing said. "But they are all wonderful kids."

Kai, the most decorated player in the program's history, holds nearly all UH offensive records, including goals (68), shots (424), and points (154). She is a two-time WAC Player of the Year, and was named to the Soccer Buzz All-America third team in 2003, the same year she led the nation in goals with 29.

"I really didn't know it was going to be anything like this, I just wanted to come back and play soccer," Kai said. "I didn't know what to expect, about any awards or anything."

Kai, a member of the U.S. Under-21 Women's National Team last year, has been the focus of opposing defenses since her first weekend as a Rainbow Wahine, when she was named the WAC Player of the Week.

It was a relief for the Kahuku High alum, who decided to sit out the year after she graduated for "personal reasons."

"I just feel it was successful, for me sitting out a year to come back and do good," she said. "I think I was successful in fulfilling my goals and dreams of playing soccer. It was good for me and good for the team."

This weekend the Rainbow Wahine (8-7-2, 4-1-0) will need her help to clinch one of the top two seeds for next week's WAC Tournament at Boise, Idaho. Six of the WAC's eight teams — Hawai'i, Nevada, Fresno State, Boise State, San Jose State and Utah State — have already filled the tournament's spots, but the top two receive byes into the semifinals.

"We want to get first," sophomore co-captain Jess Domingo said. "We want everyone to know we are the best in the WAC. It would be nice to finish the season with wins, considering how we started the season (3-6-2 before conference began)."

This weekend's opponents are the only other WAC teams with one conference loss.

"It's critical to be successful at home," Tenzing said. "We do play with a different level of energy at home."

Nevada (10-5-1, 4-1-0) is led by forward Miranda Montejo, who has scored eight goals with three assists, and all-WAC preseason picks Naomi Hernandez and Lauren Kinneman.

Fresno State (6-8-2, 3-1-1) is led by 2004 all-WAC second-team member forward Kortney Lewis, who has five goals and five assists; 2004 all-WAC first-team member Cortney Sobrero (five goals, one assist) and preseason WAC Defensive Player of the Year Rochelle Jagdeo.

NOTES

Hawai'i can win the WAC title and lock up the No. 1 seed in the tournament with the following scenarios: wins over Nevada and Fresno State; a win over Nevada and a tie with Fresno State; a win over Nevada and loss to Fresno State (if Fresno State ties or loses to San Jose State today).

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.