Wildcats ‘dodge bullets’ to top Hilo

BY MATT GERHART | STEPHENS MEDIA

HILO — Konawaena coach Guy Miranda was the first to admit it.

The Wildcats were resilient when they needed to be Saturday, and when that failed they were fortunate that Hilo was off the mark.

“Good to get the three points against a good team, but we dodged a lot of bullets,” Miranda said. “We got lucky, too.”

There was nothing lucky about Saxon Nagata’s goal — just skill — a perfectly placed laser that lifted the Wildcats to a 1-0 victory at Hilo Bayfront on the final day of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation girls soccer season.

The Wildcats (9-2-1) had already wrapped up the No. 2 seed in Wednesday’s BIIF Division I semifinals, and they denied Hilo a chance at a rematch. Instead, Konawaena will host No. 3 Waiakea (7-2-3) at 6 p.m. for a state tournament berth. The Vikings (6-4-2) will travel to face top-seeded Kealakehe (12-0) at 3 p.m.

The Vikings played without leading scorer Rose Nakamura, and the junior’s season is over after she received a red card and was ejected during a fracas Jan. 14 in a 2-0 loss at Kealakehe.

Hilo had more scoring opportunities Saturday, but they missed Nakamura’s finishing skills.

Konawaena senior Britney Paahana played strong in net, turning away all seven shots she faced.

The Wildcats’ best two scoring opportunities came on free kicks.

Freshman Jetahn McRight misfired on a penalty kick early in the first half, hooking her shot to the left.

Nagata was spot on in the 22nd minute with a high blast from about 20 yards out that tucked just under the crossbar and over the hands of Hilo goalkeeper Edwina DeGrood for her 10th goal of the season.

The sophomore said she thought her shot was heading low, but then again, she noted it’s best not to think at all.

“If you think too much you’re going to shank it,” she said. “Think less and just hit it on the right spot.”

The three-time defending champion Vikings haven’t beaten a team with a winning record all year.

In perhaps a microcosm of their season, junior Taylor Pacheco was left unmarked in front of the net late in the second half, but her shot sailed over the net.

“It’s been our problem since the preseason,” Hilo coach Paul Bello said. “We need to finish and score more goals. It’s going to have to be a team effort.”

Pacheco, junior Taylor Matas and freshman Mehana Halpern gave Hilo’s offense a spark, but Konawaena’s back line of Hedwyne Dario, Rayne Baltero, McRight and Mikala Fernandez limited point-blank scoring chances.

Paahana, who took over in goal when Maria Cisneros was lost for the season because of a broken leg, rushed out of the net at opportune times to cut down throughballs.

“She’s playing like a first-stringer now,” Miranda said. “She’s manning up, and I couldn’t be more proud of her. I thought she and the back line played fantastic.”

Boosted by a stalwart group of freshman that provides depth, the Wildcats are trying to reach states for the first time since 2008.

Konawaena and the Warriors played to a 0-0 draw Dec. 14 at Waiakea in a match that was called at halftime because a deluge made the field unplayable. Nagata said that because of the conditions, it’s as if the two teams never met.

“You really couldn’t tell much because of the field,” Nagata said. “We scouted (Waiakea) when they played Kealakehe. We watched who to mark and who their key players are.”

Bello said his team would relish the role of underdog leading into its match against the Waveriders.

For the first time in four years, Hilo is the hunter as opposed to being the hunted.

“We look forward to it, and it would be great to ruin their undefeated season,” he said. “We just have to play our game, and I’m confident we can come out with a win.”

— Makua Lani 2, Waiakea 1: Senior Grace Choe and junior Lauren Mabuni scored first-half goals as the Division II Lions stunned the Division I Warriors on the road.

With a student body of just over 60 students, Makua Lani had not beaten a Division I team in the girls soccer program’s history prior to the start of the 2011-12 season, according to Lions coach John Edwards.

The Lions ended that futility on Dec. 28 by beating Keaau 3-1 on the road before knocking off Waiakea — a team that regularly contends for Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I state tournament berths.

“After the game, they were just out of their skin, over the top,” Edwards said of his players.

The Makua Lani coach said the team received a boost when Choe and senior Malia Kaiwi returned to the Lions’ lineup before Wednesday’s 6-2 loss at Hawaii Prep.

Choe, who did mission work in Cambodia, missed the past seven games, while various injuries kept Kaiwi out for an extended period of time.

Choe scored five minutes into the match, when junior Tiffany Nakamura delivered a cross to freshman Keili Dorn, who found Choe.

In the 22nd minute, Choe assisted on junior Lauren Mabuni’s seventh goal of the season.

“The Waiakea girls played hard, and we played hard,” Edwards said. “We got fortunate, knocked a couple goals in and held them off.”

The Lions (6-6), the No. 4 seed in the BIIF Division II tournament, will host fifth-seeded St. Joseph (2-9-1) at 3 p.m. Tuesday in a first-round game at Old Kona Airport Park.

Senior Teisha Nacis tallied her eighth goal of the season for the Warriors (6-3-3), the No. 3 seed in the BIIF Division I tournament.

Waiakea will face Konawaena (9-2-1) at 3 p.m. on the road Wednesday in a match that will determine a berth in the HHSAA Division I state tournament, which takes place Feb. 1-4 at Oahu’s Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex.

— Kealakehe 9, St. Joseph 0: Junior forward Kari Van Mols scored three goals, giving her a BIIF-high 19 for the season, and senior Rachael Bianchi added her sixth and seventh goals as the visiting Waveriders capped an undefeated regular season.

Senior McKenna Davidson tallied her 18th goal, while sophomores Ana Tuppein, Kaili Smith and Sulley Schuster each scored once for Kealakehe (12-0), which will host fourth-seeded Hilo (6-4-2) at 3 p.m. Wednesday in a Division I semifinal.

Schuster and freshman Logan Harris combined to shut out the Cardinals (2-9-1) in goal.

St. Joseph and Parker tied for fifth place in the BIIF Division II standings, and the teams played to a 1-1 tie in the regular season. The Cardinals earned the No. 5 seed in the Division II tournament by virtue of allowing fewer goals (62) than the Bulls (66) during the season and will travel to face Makua Lani (6-6) Tuesday in a 3 p.m. first-round game at Old Kona Airport Park.

— Parker 3, Ka’u 0: Freshman Aolani Pieper scored twice, and freshman Jamie Burns also found the net for the Bulls (2-9-1) in Pahala.

Parker, the No. 6 seed in the Division II tournament, will travel to face Honokaa (7-5) at 3 p.m. Tuesday in a first-round game.

The Trojans ended their season 0-12.

— Honokaa 1, Keaau 0: Junior Monica Carlos scored her team-high 11th goal early in the second half at Keaau, giving the Dragons the No. 3 seed in the Division II tournament.

Honokaa (7-5) will host sixth-seeded Parker (2-9-1) at 3 p.m. Tuesday in a first-round playoff match.

Junior goalkeeper Kaiu Freitas-Lau shut out Keaau, which ended its season 4-8.

— Hawaii Prep 2, Kamehameha-Hawaii 0: Sophomore Nanea Tavares scored her 16th and 17th goals of the season for Ka Makani, which ended the regular season 11-1 and earned the No. 1 seed in the BIIF Division II tournament.

HPA will host either Makua Lani or St. Joseph in the Division II semifinals at 3 p.m. Thursday.

Senior goalkeeper Hannah Unger blanked the Warriors (7-3-2), the No. 2 seed in the Division II tournament.

Kamehameha will host either Honokaa or Parker Thursday at a time to be determined.

Boys

— Honokaa 9, Keaau 0: Senior Dylan Shiraki bagged his ninth and 10th goals of the season, and sophomore Kekoa Phenicie also scored twice at Keaau as the Dragons improved to 9-0.

Seniors Chayce Moniz, Robert Connors and Alden Aguirre, junior Clayton Robinson and sophomore Justin Warren added a goal apiece for Honokaa.

Senior Maikai Coelho blanked the Cougars (2-8) in goal.

— Waiakea 5, Makua Lani 0: Senior Cameron Boucher tallied three goals, giving him 18 for the season as the host Warriors reeled off their fifth straight win.

Senior Nuu Aiava added his 12th goal, while freshman Tyler Kerr scored his first for Waiakea (8-3), which led 2-0 at halftime before pulling away in the second half.

Senior goalkeeper R.J. Iyo shut out Makua Lani (6-4-1).

— Hilo 3, Konawaena 1: Senior John Perez scored the second of his two goals midway through the second half at Hilo Bayfront, knocking in a shot from the top of the penalty box and giving the Vikings (11-0-1) an insurance goal after they had taken a 2-1 halftime lead.

Perez, who leads Hilo with 18 goals, also assisted on junior Lorrin Pajimola’s second goal of the season in the first half.

Sophomore J.G. Replogle scored for the Wildcats (6-5-2).

— Hawaii Prep 2, Kamehameha-Hawaii 0: Senior Mac Yagi gathered a rebound off a shot by junior Martynas Golubovskis and slotted in his third goal in the 71st minute, giving HPA some breathing room in Keaau.

Golubovskis had given Ka Makani (6-3) a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute, running onto a throughball from junior Kepa Police and scoring his 15th goal of the season.

Senior John Pezzuto blanked the Warriors (4-8-1) in goal.

— Kealakehe 9, Hawaii Academy of Arts & Science 0: Senior Tyler Yates collected three goals and an assist, and Deja-Dean Ruiz-Spinney also had a hat trick in Pahoa for the Waveriders (8-0-1), who have outscored their opponents 56-4 this season.

Freshman Marc Takahashi added a goal and an assist, while sophomores Cappy Alterman and Scott Henderson also scored for Kealakehe.

Seniors Cory Fisher, Kawela Benson and Jordan Rapoza, junior Kapono Berard and freshman Zachary Kaneshiro each had an assist.

Benson and Aaron Ventimiglia combined to blank Na Naia (0-9-1) in goal.

— Christian Liberty 6, Kohala 0: Junior Zach Wolf scored his third and fourth goals of the season, and sophomore Louis Moylan collected a goal and three assists for the Canefire, which took a 1-0 halftime lead on its new home field before pulling away in the second half.

Sophomore Nakaya Kerr added his team-high sixth goal of the season, while senior Ian Clark and junior Keenan Freitas each scored once for Christian Liberty (5-2-2).

Seniors Taylor Benavente and David Sato combined to shut out the Cowboys (2-10) in goal.

— Parker 6, Ka’u 0: Sophomore C.J. Brown had a hat trick in Pahala for the Bulls, who improved to 4-7.

Junior Paul Gregg and sophomore Alex Guske added their seventh goals of the season, and senior Jesse Tarnas also found the net for Parker.

The Trojans finished their season 0-12-1.

West Hawaii Today’s Joe Ferraro contributed to this report.

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