D-II GIRLS SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Roosevelt's Joy Nakahara stopped a shot from Kamehameha-Hawaii's Pua Hall. Jessica Marote scored on the rebound.
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Warriors claim crown
Kamehameha-Hawaii wasn't content with just being the first Big Island team to play in a girls soccer state championship game.
State Girls Soccer: Division II
At Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park
Yesterday
Consolation final
Hawaii Prep 3, Sacred Hearts
Fifth-place game
Honokaa 2, St. Anthony 1
Third-place game
Kauai 6, Campbell 0
Championship
Kamehameha-Hawaii 2, Roosevelt 0
All-tournament team
Lauren Vieira, Kamehameha-Hawaii; Karmen Ferriera, Roosevelt; Tiffany Ikeda-Simao, Kauai; Kristin Ho, Roosevelt; Skye Shimabukuro, Kauai; Beverly Quiamas, Honokaa; Christy Watanabe, Roosevelt; Bryanna De Lima, Kamehameha-Hawaii; Pua Hall, Kamehameha-Hawaii; Rachel Domingo, Roosevelt; Ashlyn Ubongen, Kauai; Joy Nakahara, Roosevelt; Leisha Robertson-Aono, Kamehameha-Hawaii
Most Outstanding Player
Jessica Marote, Kamehameha-Hawaii
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It would mean nothing unless they won it.
Junior Jessica Marote broke a scoreless tie with a goal in the 74th minute and Bryanna De Lima tacked on another 6 minutes later as the second-seeded Warriors capped an undefeated season with a 2-0 victory over top-seeded Roosevelt, claiming the JN Automotive Group/HHSAA Division II state soccer championship last night at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.
"It has been a heart attack all season with these kids," Kamehameha-Hawaii coach Charles Heaukulani said. "It was a big deal for us just playing in the stadium."
Junior midfielder Pua Hall came down with a cold the night before and was passed out in a car 2 hours prior to kickoff. She managed to overcome her sickness and set up Kamehameha-Hawaii's first goal.
Hall took a long pass down the middle of the field and zig-zagged around a defender to set up a shot on Roosevelt goalkeeper Joy Nakahara. Nakahara made an incredible diving save, but the ball bounced off her chest and rolled a few feet in front of her where Marote flew in to put the rebound in the back of the net.
"Usually in practice we're always talking about putting in the second shot," Marote said. "I was looking for the rebound and it was right there for me to score."
Hall, who scored two goals in Kamehameha-Hawaii's quarterfinal victory over Honokaa, wasn't going to miss the game no matter how poorly she felt.
"Coach just told me 80 minutes and then you can rest for a whole year," Hall said. "Champions play through anything and I just pushed on for the team. We wanted to prove to the rest of the islands that we could take this."
The Rough Riders came out flat in the first half as the Warriors pressed the action and outshot Roosevelt 8-2. Showing a newfound energy in the second half, Roosevelt came alive and had three near-goals in a span of 3 minutes.
"We had a couple chances right there at the goal," Roosevelt coach Shaina Caporoz said. "We did what had to be done and can't hang our heads. It was like a earthquake in the last 5 minutes that just came and shook us."
With the Rough Riders pushing up to even the score after Marote's goal, Iolana Heaukulani got loose down the right side and nailed a shot off the crossbar. De Lima followed with a left-footed shot off the rebound to seal Kamehameha-Hawaii's first ever state soccer title.
"It's so exciting to bring (the title) back home," said Marote, who was named the tournament's most valuable player. "Usually the second half is always our game and, once we relaxed a little, we came through."