Tuesday, February 12, 2002

Bears chase a
third state title

Baldwin High School opens
the girls soccer tournament
as the third-seeded team

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By Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.com

The Baldwin girls soccer team has been answering doubters for more than two years now.

The Bears became the first neighbor island team to win a state championship in 2000. Last year, they snuffed any talk of a fluke by successfully defending the title.

This week, the Bears hope to capture a third title and prove they can win after losing their best player.

"Everybody's been saying Baldwin won because they had Nicole Garbin and I think (the players) had something to prove without her," Baldwin coach Kawika Keator said.

The Meadow Gold Girls State Soccer Championship opens tomorrow with first-round games at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park.

The first round will be split into doubleheaders at two fields. Kalaheo plays Hawaii Prep and Kapaa faces Kailua on Field 2. King Kekaulike takes on Aiea and Pearl City plays Kealakehe on Field 3. The first matches start at 1 p.m. The second games start at 3.

Play moves to the main stadium for Thursday's quarterfinals where the top seeds await. The semifinals are Friday and the championship match is Saturday at 7 p.m.

Baldwin (10-1-2) begins defense of its state crown on Thursday as the Maui Interscholastic League champion and the tournament's third seed.

Oahu Interscholastic Association champion Mililani (11-0-1) is the top seed, followed by Punahou (7-1-2) of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu. Hilo, the Big Island Interscholastic Federation champion, is the fourth seed.

Baldwin has learned to play without Garbin, last year's state player of the year, but Keator said four injured starters are playing at 75 percent this week.

Despite the injuries, Keator said the team is playing its best soccer of the year. The Bears closed the MIL season with a 5-0 win over Maui last Tuesday.

"The team just stepped it up and just played hard and ran hard the whole time," Keator said.

Sophomore forward Kami Kapaku led the MIL with 26 goals. Goalkeeper Mahie Atay, an all-state selection last year, provides leadership for a team with just two seniors. The Bears face either Kalaheo or Hawaii Prep in the quarterfinals.

Mililani, which lost to Baldwin in last year's title match, enters as the top seed after beating Kalaheo for the OIA title. The Trojans, who open against either Kapaa or Kailua, hope to give the school a sweep after the boys team won the state championship last weekend on Maui.

Mele French scored 27 goals to lead the Trojans, who have 13 seniors on their roster.

Punahou last won a title in 1998 and is led by the scoring duo of Adria Campbell and Charlene Lui. The Buffanblu play the winner of the match between Kealakehe and Pearl City on Thursday.

Hilo went 15-0 in the BIIF and plays either King Kekaulike or Aiea in the quarterfinals.

"I think it's going to be who ever wants it will win," Keator said. "Whoever comes out hard and wins the ball is going to win this tournament."

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