D-I BOYS STATE SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kamehameha's Gareth Gomez tried to keep the ball away from Iolani's Reid Sakamoto in the first half last night. The Warriors won 2-1 on penalty kicks. In the Division II title game, Mid-Pacific defeated Kapaa in double overtime.
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Kamehameha claims D-I title
The climb began with a miracle in the semifinals, and the Kamehameha Warriors answered the call of destiny in the Division I final with a heart-stopping 1-0 penalty-kick win over No. 1-seeded Iolani last night in the JN Automotive Group/HHSAA Boys Soccer State Championships.
State Boys Soccer
Division I
At Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park
Yesterday
Championship game
Kamehameha 2, Iolani 1 (PK, 4-2)
Third-place game
Mililani 1, Kamehameha-Maui 0
Fifth-place game
Kealakehe 1, Kaiser 0
Consolation final
Baldwin 5, Castle 0
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Kamehameha goalkeeper Micah Swain came up with a big stop during penalty kicks and Ryan Ho delivered the title-clinching kick before 4,200 at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.
It is Kamehameha's second boys soccer state crown, both under coach Andrew Ah New.
Kamehameha was on the ropes in the semifinals against Kamehameha-Maui, but got a direct kick from Dydasco in the final minute of regulation and went on to win, 2-1, on penalty kicks.
Last night, it was a duel with arch rival Iolani that tested the Warriors' mettle. After a miss by Kimo Komomua, Kamehameha (12-2-2) got penalty kicks from Kainoa Kahui, Zane Dydasco and Gareth Gomez before Ho delivered the winner. Kamehameha won the penalty kicks 4-2 to deny Iolani (12-2-2), which was hoping to win its seventh state title.
Kamehameha's lone goal in regulation came just 6 minutes into the match. Kimo Komomua's 10-yard shot squirted through Iolani goalkeeper Christopher Otani for a 1-0 Warriors lead.
Just before the half, Iolani senior defender Eamon Wall received a red card and was ejected. On the ensuing direct kick, Dydasco's kick sailed too high.
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Iolani's Christopher Otani and Nicholas Metzger defended the goal against Kamehameha's Kimo Komomua in the state championship game last night at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.
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Iolani finally got on the scoreboard in the 49th minute when Blaine Gonsalves ripped a left-footed blast from the corner of the box, a 30-yarder that found net to tie the match at 1-all.
Four minutes later, the Raiders mounted a great attack only to come up empty against brilliant Warrior defense. Gonsalves maneuvered deep into the left side of the box and sent a cross to Kevin Fung, who dribbled and sent a rocket to goal. The shot was stopped by Warriors goalkeeper Micah Swain, but the ball got away from Swain, and Iolani's Nicholas Goo pounced.
Goo sent a sure goal toward the net, but Dydasco raced in from nowhere and went airborne -- feet first -- to deflect the shot at point-blank range. That preserved a 1-all score all the way into overtime.
Iolani got close, though, at the 76-minute mark. Steven Namiki's blast from 40 yards out required a big save by Swain. A moment later, Kamehameha defender Kainoa Kahui headed a great corner kick to stave off another Iolani threat.
The Raiders had another shot with 3 minutes left in the second overtime when Komomua was called for a hand ball violation at midfield. Off the direct kick by Fung, Swain dove for the loose ball twice in a dogfight for the ball 10 yards from the goal before coming up with the ball.