Aid for the University of Hawai'i women's soccer team came in the form of a 5-foot-10 former basketball player.

Former guard/forward Brittney Aiwohi joined the team this past spring, giving it necessary depth at goalkeeper this season when no back-up to sophomore starter Kori Lu was available.

"I couldn't believe my ears," said goalkeeper coach Josh Fouts, about when he heard the news that Aiwohi asked to join the team.

"It was just something that I didn't do since high school and I thought it would be fun," Aiwohi said.

Although Aiwohi is the second-string goalkeeper — Lu has the job firmly locked down — Aiwohi "is a leader for Kori," Fouts said.

Lu and the Rainbow Wahine have allowed one goal in two games this season, and are preparing for Kent State and Winthrop in the Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Soccer Classic this weekend.

Hawai'i'i plays Kent State tomorrow at 7 p.m., and Winthrop at 5 p.m. Sunday. Both games are at Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium. Kent State and Winthrop play Saturday at 7 p.m.

In terms of Division I experience, the fifth-year senior Aiwohi has years on Lu, but hasn't played soccer since high school.

"I'm a veteran rookie," Aiwohi said.

As a four-year member of the Rainbow Wahine basketball team, Aiwohi "knows how to compete and train. She's a huge part of the goalkeeping team," Fouts said.

But it is Lu, an all-Western Athletic Conference second-team selection last season, who owns the position.

Lu played in 19 games last season, recording three shutouts with a 1.14 goals against average.

"Kori is coming along really well," Fouts said. "Her stock just keeps going up. Every week she does things I didn't think she could do."

Lu started as a freshman, coming into fall camp in shape and ready to go after graduating from Santa Margarita High in Rancho Margarita, Calif.

She arrived in Hawai'i after an illustrious prep and club career, including winning the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships in 2002 with the Laguna Eclipse, when she earned the adidas Golden Glove award for the top goalkeeper in the tournament.

"There was pressure (to take over the starting spot from a senior), but it kept me on my toes to keep competing, knowing who was in front of me," she said.

Lu trained in Hawai'i for the latter part of the summer, staying in a Hawai'i Kai house her parents — who live in California — bought after Lu committed to the Rainbow Wahine. There Lu lived with teammates Taryn Fukuroku, Tehane Higa and Kristen Oshiro, whom she still lives with in an on-campus apartment.

Her parents, mom Terry, a homemaker, and dad, Gene, who works for the Web site WebMD, travel to Hawai'i for her home games, and make it to most of her road games.

"It helps me a lot knowing they are there for support," Lu said.

The Rainbow Wahine are 1-1 this season, and Lu is "surprised how much heart and determination we have. If we were down 5-0, I don't think we would stop pushing until the very end."

An increase of confidence means a bigger role for Lu this year. While most goalkeepers are known only for using their hands, Lu provides an outlet for her defenders as a pass back when they are under pressure. And because soccer rules dictate that a goalkeeper cannot pick up the ball if it is passed to them from a teammate, she must distribute the ball with her feet.

"That's a big improvement from last year," Fouts said. "She's demanding the ball back there. Any time a defense has faith in the keeper, it just makes it that much easier to play them the ball.

"She's really confident with demanding the ball, and last year she wasn't. It's good. It takes the pressure off our defenders and helps us change the direction of attack."

Tuesdays and Thursdays the goalkeepers are at practice an hour early to get extra training. During practices, they participate in 5-on-5 drills to improve their footwork.

Lu and Aiwohi form a goalkeeping unit that "is a great combo. I truly look forward to training them every week," Fouts said.

Fouts said Aiwohi "fell out of the sky" after UH's top goalkeeper recruiting prospect fell through.

She showed up at the coaches' offices at the start of spring training and after the conclusion of the women's basketball season and asked if she could join the team.

"She played in high school so I didn't think it was that big of a difference," Lu said. "It was an easy transition, it seemed, for her."

Aiwohi, an all-Interscholastic League of Honolulu first-team goalkeeper for Pac-Five (she attended Sacred Hearts), has "incredible hands and footwork from basketball," Fouts said.

Lu described Aiwohi as "awesome. She gets along with everyone. She brings a positive attitude towards the team."

Aiwohi said joining the team wasn't what she expected, "but in a good way. I thought it would be really hard. It's not easy, but it's easier going through it with the girls."

Aiwohi appeared in 42 games for the basketball team, and Fouts said her time with it made her "a gamer."

"She's going to get her playing time, and if anything were to happen to Kori, I would feel totally confident in Brittney."

Fouts described both as businesslike and focused.

"Unfortunately, we don't have any (women's volleyball player Tara) Hittles (who is known for her playful character)," said Fouts, who is the "Hittle" of the group. "From the second they are out at training to the time they leave, they are competitive with themselves."

Notes: Kent State (1-0-1) was 9-8-5 (5-4-2 Mid-American Conference) in 2005. Winthrop (1-1-0) was 8-10-1 (3-5-0 Big South Conference).

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.