It started out as a potential rebuilding season, and then somewhere along the line one of the themes of Hawaii Prep’s season became resiliency.
It started out as a potential rebuilding season, and then somewhere along the line one of the themes of Hawaii Prep’s season became resiliency.
Call it survival, sustainability or what you will, but in the end Ka Makani coach Stephen Perry summed it up Saturday night as: “We do what we got to do.”
In the case of his girls soccer dynasty, that continues to mean winning state championships.
Breakout sophomore sensation Emi Higgins scored a goal for the third consecutive day on Oahu, and then HPA did what it does best – it held on to a lead, stifling Kapaa 1-0 for a fourth consecutive HHSAA Division II crown at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex.
“We had a lot of close games,” Perry said after HPA’s sixth consecutive win by a one-goal margin, “and they just find a way to pull it out.”
HPA (11-2-2) is the first Division II team to win four state titles in a row and the first Hawaii team to do it since Punahou claimed four consecutive from 1983-86.
After making their sixth consecutive state finals, Ka Makani will lose just two seniors, including Rowan Kotner, who has been around for all four state titles.
“We have a core group in the middle that works so hard, and they never come off the field,” Perry said, referring to players such as Kotner, Higgins, Jenna Perry, Julia Perry, Teah Van Bergan and Zoe Ganley.
Saturday’s night’s match played out similarly to HPA’s 1-0 victory against Kamehameha last week in the BIIF final, only this time it took longer for Higgins to score.
Kauai champion Kapaa (13-2) was looking for its first state title, and it frustrated HPA into myriad offsides calls early on, but Ka Makani finally struck in the 31st minute.
Ganley took a free kick from just inside the center line, serving a ball that Sophie Aguilar headed near the penalty box. Higgins ran it down and dribbled to the six-yard goal line and left-footed a shot past the Kapaa keeper.
“Zoe Ganley does balls like that all the time,” Higgins said. “Every game we probably get a ball like that. All season I haven’t been able to finish one. This time she got the free kick right there, and Sophia is great in the air.”
And Higgins is great at netting big goals. She scored in each of HPA’s five postseason matches, finishing with seven during the five-game run with four goals at states.
Once again, Ka Makani knew what to do once Higgins gave them the lead. Freshman goalkeeper Maia Mills was rarely bothered by Kapaa.
“The mindset was contain and stay in the moment,” Higgins said. “We do really good at just hanging in there and playing the smart passes.”
It sounds simple, but it’s the stuff of champions.