honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, October 27, 2008

'Bows send seniors off with 4-2 win

By Leila Wai
Advertiser Staff Writer

The University of Hawai'i soccer seniors ended their careers at home the same way they started them — with a win.

UH beat Louisiana Tech, 4-2, in a Western Athletic Conference game last night at the Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium on Senior Night in front of 1,056.

It was a fitting finish for the six whose careers started in the Natasha Kai era and included the program's first WAC tournament championship and NCAA tournament appearance last year.

"I'm glad that happened," Hawai'i coach Pinsoom Tenzing said of sending the seniors out with a win. "It was in peril, because we were down twice. (They) were continuing to play well, even when they were down."

Taryn Fukuroku, Tehane Higa, Kori Lu, Kelli-Anne Chang, Alexis Choi and Kristen Oshiro were honored after the game.

"It went by so fast," said Fukuroku, who scored the final goal last night and started in the first game of the season four years ago, a 2-1 overtime win against George Mason. "This is something I'll never forget, playing with these girls. I'm going to miss them so much."

Higa, the team's co-captain along with Fukuroku, called Senior Night "bittersweet."

"All the hard work is done, but we still have a lot of soccer left to play," Higa said. "It went by so fast. All I have to look forward to is school now."

Hawai'i (6-6-4, 2-2-1) concludes its regular season on the road against WAC opponents Boise State and Idaho.

Louisiana Tech (10-4-5, 0-2-4) scored first on a goal by Olivia Lukasewich. Hawai'i sophomore midfielder Nicole Mikula tied it on a free kick from just outside the right corner of the 18-yard box in the 38th minute.

A minute later Louisiana Tech's Amy Wolsted took the lead back when she scored on a penalty kick after UH defender Chelsea Deptula was flagged for a hand ball in the 18-yard box when she tried to stop the ball from going into an empty goal.

In the first 10 seconds of the second half, Hawai'i junior forward Ambree Ako tied it on a penalty kick after sophomore midfielder Mari Punzal was dragged down in the 18-yard box when she chased down a pass from Deptula on UH's kickoff.

Hawai'i took the lead for good on a goal by freshman midfielder Rachel Domingo on a play that saw the ball hit the goalpost four times before finally going into the goal. The play started on a cross from the left by midfielder Kelsie Look. The first shot came on a header by Punzal that hit the crossbar, then Domingo took a shot that also hit the crossbar. Fukuroku then hit the goalpost before Domingo finished the play — with the ball hitting the right goalpost before crossing the line.

"It was super crazy," Domingo said. "I was just trying to calm myself down. ... We needed a goal."

She was happy to send the seniors out with a win.

"Our seniors were really supportive of us and there was never a point they doubted the team," Domingo said. "I'm really going to miss them."

With six minutes left Fukuroku put Hawai'i up 4-2 on an assist from fellow senior Chang, who sent a long ball to the top of the 18-yard box for Fukuroku. She then touched the ball to her right, out of reach for charging Louisiana Tech goalkeeper Cat Buchanan, and shot the ball into an open net.

"I was hoping I would score, but it wasn't a big thing," Fukuroku said. "I just wanted to win and pick up the morale of the team."

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.