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Wednesday, April 19, 2000

Garbin, Keator lead
Baldwin to the top

By Dave Reardon
Star-Bulletin

You don't have to know anything about soccer to see the beauty in the simple move by Baldwin girls' soccer coach Kawika Keator.

It made perfect sense to shift his best player to the middle of the field, where she could have the most impact, the most opportunities to get at the ball.

The move from defender paid off for Nicole Garbin and her Bears' teammates, as Baldwin won the state championship with her at middle halfback, controlling the action.

Garbin was voted the state player of the year, and Keator coach of the year.

"Nicole can play anywhere. She was the sweeper her first two years," Keator said. "I felt she would help us more at mid-field. She knows how to take care of the ball."

Keator ordered Garbin to be aggressive.

"My role was to always be around where the ball was," she said.

"Coach told me play like a rover, always have the ball at my feet and set the tempo of the game," added Garbin.

As good as Garbin was, she was just one cog of a talented Baldwin team from which Keator brought out the best, in his first year as the Bears' coach.

"He provided a lot of consistency for the team," Kamehameha coach Michele Nishikawa said.

"He got them to believe in themselves, especially since they were coming off a couple of tough years. A lot of it was emotional, and he got the chemistry going."

Garbin was joined on the first team, which was selected by a 14-member panel of coaches and officials, by teammates Shawna Shimamura, a forward, and Koren Takeyama, a defender.

Kamehameha was represented by five players: forward Robin deHay, midfielders Chelsea Montero and Kaula Rowe, and defenders Jenny deHay and Moani Lau.

Pearl City teammates Pamela Fong and Christine Ayers were selected at forward and goalkeeper, respectively.

Iolani also placed two selectees: forward Shari Nishikawa and defender Jamie Shoma.

Aiea's Joelle Sugai (midfielder), Castle's Moani Mundo (goalkeeper) and Moanalua's Erin Chow (goalkeeper) round out the team.

See below for league all-star teams.

Next Wednesday the Star-Bulletin will publish the all-state softball team.