The University of Hawai'i women's soccer team hopes the music blaring through the speakers before its games will provide a soundtrack to a successful season.

Ranging from songs from the mid-90s to today's chart-toppers, the players are allowed to create their own pre-game playlist filled with upbeat songs.

Their opening song is "Mo Money Mo Problems" by Puff Daddy, Notorious BIG and Mase, released in 1997.

Also on the list: Beyonce's "Single Ladies," because "we always have dance parties to 'Single Ladies'," junior captain Mari Punzal said. "We pick songs that make us dance and get us pumped up."

The Rainbow Wahine hope it works this weekend for the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Soccer Classic, when it hosts Alabama-Birmingham (4-0-0) tomorrow at 4 p.m. and Pacific (2-1-0) Sunday at 5 p.m. UAB and Pacific play Saturday at 7 p.m.

All games are at the Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

The players appreciate the ability to choose their own songs "because it makes us happy and it makes us want to get up and dance," senior forward Ambree Ako said. "We know the words to it. It's fun, get-up-and-not-be-lazy music.

"I hear the music, and then I start to sing along, and then I do a dance here and there. It makes us happy to be there."

Coach Pinsoom Tenzing has allowed the players to choose their own music since the Rainbow Wahine started playing at the Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium in 2000.

"I have no idea what they choose," Tenzing said. "The music doesn't mean anything to me, but it doesn't have to mean anything to me. Whatever it takes to get them going. It's something they are emulating from the very best programs around the country.

"Even when it's playing I tune it out," Tenzing said. "If you ask me what they are playing, I have no idea. It's creative noise."

The captains are in charge of picking the soundtrack to each season. This year, Punzal and Kristyn Shapka chose the songs. But any player on the team can request songs.

"We were talking about it earlier, and I guess the beats and the newer hip hop songs — we didn't think anything new was going to pump us up," Punzal said. "We just picked old songs that we liked."

"That's what turns them on," Tenzing said. "I don't think they would like Verdi — I'm just throwing out an operatic name — it would do nothing for them."

Assistant media relations director Pakalani Bello revised the final playlist to make sure no vulgar language was used.

"(UH games are) a family affair," Punzal said.

Most programs on the Mainland do the same, although the song selection varies.

"They usually have a warm-up CD or whatever, but they sometimes have weird songs," Ako said. "I forget where we went, but some place had slow music. How do you get pumped up listening to slow jams?"

Punzal and Shapka placed the songs in order to match up to certain points of their pre-game warm-up, which is consistent.

"There are songs we tried to strategically place where it's upbeat, and make you want to dance, and then we placed songs to make you focus. The fourth song is by the Black Eyed Peas ("I Gotta Feeling"), and that's when we start kicking the balls around, and it says 'Tonight's going to be a good night,' and we like to hear it and think that it's going to be a good night."

NOTES

UAB junior defender Marie Yempuku is a Kamehameha graduate. ... Pacific has five players from Hawai'i on its roster: junior forward Sammi Teramae ('Iolani), junior defender Kylee Ah Choy (Kamehameha), junior midfielder Natalie Wong (Mililani), senior defender Kellie Nakahara (Punahou) and junior midfielder Chyanne Alejado (Kapolei).