The new three-tier system for the BIIF soccer season is designed, like with volleyball, to keep games closer by pairing together more similar skilled opponents. The system does work overall, especially for the top-tier Red Division teams like Kealakehe and Hawaii Preparatory Academy, who no longer have to play bottom — or Blue — tier teams.
The new three-tier system for the BIIF soccer season is designed, like with volleyball, to keep games closer by pairing together more similar skilled opponents. The system does work overall, especially for the top-tier Red Division teams like Kealakehe and Hawaii Preparatory Academy, who no longer have to play bottom — or Blue — tier teams.
However, what about those borderline teams, like Makua Lani, which has the talent to compete with some, if not all the top tier teams, but has been relegated to the second tier. In such a case, blowouts, as Makua Lani skipper Alex Dong pointed out at the beginning of the season, are inevitable.
For Dong and his Lions’ squad, the lopsided victories have been coming at a torrid pace to start the year. Makua Lani has already won three games by early mercy stoppage. The latest victory came on Wednesday when the Lions cruised through visiting Christian Liberty Academy at the Old Airport Park soccer field 9-0, ending the game just a few minutes into the second half.
“When we face games we know are going to be lopsided, we try to focus on perfecting the little stuff so when we are under pressure hopefully it will all click,” Dong said. “We also simulate pressure. We timed out the second half (against CLA). We told the players that if they don’t score in two minutes then we will put in subs. It helps up the urgency.”
Senior forward DJ Madigan led the scoring against the Canefire, finding the back of the net three times, all of which came in the first half.
With his team up 1-0 early in the game, Madigan scored his first goal off some fancy ball handling maneuvers. Taking the ball past a defender, Madigan found himself in a 1-on-1 situation with the keeper from just outside the six. Taking a shot from the right side, Madigan went straight at the keeper, who struggled to get a handle on the ball, allowing it to bounce into the net.
Madigan’s second goal came late in the first half to put his team up 5-0. He picked up the hat trick right before the break off a hard shot from the right side, which found the far side of the net.
“DJ is leaving for Portugal so we were trying to get him to run around to burn his energy for the flight,” Dong said with a laugh. “He is dominant. He always wants the ball, even when we play him outside. He will call for someone to switch and tell them he will switch right back and then never does. When we play him deeper in the middle he will wander up high. He is always hungry, which is nice because he is always on the ball and doing good things.”
Makua Lani scored eight goals in the first half. The first came off a shot by Emmett Alcos. Alcos, along with several of his teammates and players on CLA, scrambled for the ball inside the box. Alcos got to it first, putting the ball in the net off a deflection.
Javier Pigott added two goals back-to-back late in the opening half. The first on a header off a a cross by Madigan. The second was a strong strike from just inside the 18 with two minutes to go before the break.
“Javier is new to the school this year,” Dong said. “He came out here and is tearing it up. He didn’t start the game but he was ready to go once he got on the field.”
Also scoring in the first half were Loa Ng and Michael Christensen.
The Lions ended the game shortly after the start of the second half when Reid Murphy found the back of the net on a header.
“I felt the boys played well and we moved the ball quickly,” Dong said. “The whole team was clicking a lot better than the other games.”
Makua Lani is now 4-0 overall, with 9-0 victories over Pahoa and Kohala, and a 3-0 win over Ka’u. The team will face its toughest test of the season on Saturday when they take on their first top-tier team, Honokaa. On top of that, they will make the road trip without their top player Madigan, who is visiting family for the holidays.
“DJ will be gone, so we will lose him and a couple of the other boys for a little while, but that is normal. All the other schools face the same problem” Dong said. “It will be interesting, but we have been working a couple of lineups so we are not as reliant on DJ. It is easy to be reliant on a player that is that good.”