BY MATT GERHART | STEPHENS MEDIA ADVERTISING HONOKAA — Kamehameha-Hawaii reserve Sara DuVoisin was inserted into a scoreless match against Honokaa in the first half to give her team’s forwards a break. While some of the Warriors’ biggest scoring threats
BY MATT GERHART | STEPHENS MEDIA
HONOKAA — Kamehameha-Hawaii reserve Sara DuVoisin was inserted into a scoreless match against Honokaa in the first half to give her team’s forwards a break.
While some of the Warriors’ biggest scoring threats were getting a breather, DuVoisin gave her team the only offense it would need.
The sophomore scored her first career goal Saturday to carry the Warriors to a 1-0 victory against the Dragons in a Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division II girls soccer match.
“It feels really great, because I love my team,” said DuVoisin, who began the season on junior varsity. “I have a great team, and the coaches are always there for me, so it’s nice to come through.”
Coach Sonya Ah Chong gave DuVoisin the promotion, in part, because of her go-getter attitude.
“She doesn’t stop. She’s got a good heart and really wants the ball,” Ah Chong said. “We just told her to go to the goal, and she did her job.”
The Warriors (7-2-1) wrapped up at least the No. 2 seed in the eight-team Division II playoffs — which start Jan. 24 — securing a home match should they reach the semifinals.
DuVoisin said she used her time on the JV squad to hone her skills.
“I really wanted to better myself in soccer, so I tried my hardest and (the coaches) noticed,” she said
While DuVoisin provided an unlikely source of offense for the Warriors, junior Kera Akiyama was her usual playmaking self, presenting a tough mark for Honokaa’s defense all match long.
In the 37th minute, Akiyama scanned the field and found DuVoisin near the top of the penalty box. She showed off a good leg from about 16 yards with a high shot that Honokaa goalkeeper Kaiu Freitas-Lau got a hand on, but the ball got behind her and bounced into the net.
DuVoisin had a chance at another goal in the second half, but Freitas-Lau charged out of the net and snuffed out her breakaway attempt.
“Almost had another one,” DuVoisin said. “It was close.”
Kelly Greenwell had the first scoring chance of the match as Honokaa (6-5) started with a flourish, but the Dragons spent much of the rest of the half reacting to Kamehameha.
Monica Carlos and Allie Shiraki led Honokaa’s attack as the match picked up during a back-and-forth final 20 minutes, but Kamehameha’s Tiffany Pacheco, Rachel Robertson, Harper Hottendorf and Mikela Cabel held in one-on-one matchups, and goalkeeper Lehua McGuire kept her net clean.
Kamehameha finished with a 10-6 advantage in shots.
“At times we played well, but for the most part we were too tentative,” coach Gerald Shiraki said. “We had our moments, but couldn’t sustain and finish.”
The Dragons still are in good shape to lock down the third seed, and if so, Shiraki was mindful that if Honokaa and Kamehameha survive the first round of the playoffs they could meet at Paiea Field in the BIIF semifinals for the third consecutive season. Honokaa won the previous two times to reach the finals.
“I’m happy where we’re at,” he said. “We just need to get better for the playoffs.”
Meanwhile, the Warriors will finish the regular season against two of the best teams on the island, hosting Waiakea on Tuesday and Hawaii Prep on Saturday.
“We’ve solidified where we’ll be,” Ah Chong said, “but we have to get our game going because those two teams will show us where we’re at.”
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