Sunday, February 17, 2002

Trojans beat Bears
on penalty kicks

Mililani ousts the 2-time defending
champs by winning the shootout 5-3

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By Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.com

Mililani captured its first state girls soccer championship since 1994 last night, dethroning two-time defending champion Baldwin 2-1 in the finals of the Meadow Gold State Girls Soccer Championship.

An announced crowd of 3,475 at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park saw the teams end regulation tied at 1 and play two scoreless overtime periods. Mililani then connected on all five of its penalty kicks, while Baldwin hit only three, to win the match.

"It feels so good to get this one," Mililani coach James Uson said. "I'm proud and happy for the seniors. They've been here four years and been denied all these years, and to get it finally, I just feel so good for them.

"I didn't want to go to penalty kicks, I wanted to win in regulation, but Baldwin played a great game."

Mililani, which had 13 seniors on its roster, controlled the action for much of the first half, but the teams went into halftime scoreless.

Mele French nearly put the Trojans on the board when she broke away from the Baldwin defense and sent a shot from the left only to see it scoot across the mouth of the goal and wide.

French had another opportunity midway through the half on a penalty kick after she was taken down by a Baldwin defender. But her kick hit the left post and was cleared by the defense.

The crossbar served as another defender for Baldwin as a shot by Jolie Nitta banged off the bar.

Baldwin converted on an opportunity six minutes into the second half when Kami Kapaku drilled a shot over Mililani goalkeeper Eryn Kishimoto and into the goal.

Mililani answered 16 minutes later after a foul was called on Baldwin goalkeeper Mahie Atay to give the Trojans a penalty kick. Atay blocked the shot by Julie Broussard, but Broussard booted the rebound into the net to tie the match.

The Bears, who were outshot 33-10 in the match, dodged several more bullets in two 10-minute overtime periods to force the game into penalty kicks.

Nitta scored on the first kick and Eryn Kishimoto knocked Taryn Apo's shot away to give the Trojans a 1-0 advantage.

"I had a feeling she was going to go right, and I just went with my instincts and it was there," Kishimoto said. "I thought it was going to go in, but it went over and I was just so happy."

Ashlee Doi, Broussard and Liane Tom scored on their kicks for Mililani and Baldwin got goals from Geana Saffery, Christie Trenholme and Kapuaimilia Atay to make it 4-3 with Mallory Iha stepping up to take Mililani's final shot.

"I just remember a coach once telling me you just choose a side and just stay with it," Iha said.

Iha chose the right side and got it past Atay to give the Trojans the state championship.

"From all those years of experience and not winning it, penalty shooting is one of the critical things you have to practice. So once we start postseason that's the first thing we practice," Uson said.

THIRD PLACE

Punahou 3, Aiea 0: The Buffanblu got goals from Charlene Lui, Romy Trigg-Smith and Michelle Quensell to finish third in the state.

Punahou outshot Aiea 19-2 in the match.

FIFTH PLACE

Kailua 0, Pearl City 0: The Surfriders and Chargers went through regulation without a goal to finish in a tie for fifth place.

CONSOLATION CHAMPIONSHIP

King Kekaulike 4, Hawaii Prep 2: Kainoa Correa scored two goals, including the go-ahead score, to lead Na Alii past Ka Makani.

King Kekaulike took a 2-0 lead in the first half only to see HPA tie the match early in the second half.

Correa scored her second goal at the 57-minute mark to give King Kekaulike the lead for good.

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GIRLS STATE SOCCER

Yesterday
At Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park
Championship

Mililani 2, Baldwin 1 (2 OTs, 5-3 on penalty kicks)
Third-place game

Punahou 3, Aiea 0
Fifth-place game

Pearl City 0, Kailua 0
Consolation final

King Kekaulike 4, Hawaii Prep 2
Goals -- Mil: Julie Broussard. Bald: Kami Kapaku. Pun: Charlene Lui, Romy Trigg-Smith, Michelle Quensell. KK: Kainoa Correa 2, Chandi Bickford, Mikioi Javier. HPA: Mikela Yarawamai, Rachel Gleed.

All-tournament team
Most Outstanding Player -- Mahie Atay, Baldwin
Goalkeeper -- Eryn Kishimoto, Mililani
Forwards -- Kami Kapaku, Baldwin; Carmen Calpo, Pearl City
Midfielders -- Kimberly Unten, Aiea; Romy Trigg-Smith, Punahou; Koren Takeyama, Baldwin; Jolie Nitta, Mililani
Defenders -- Jen Loo, Mililani; Mallory Iha, Mililani; Charlene Lui, Punahou; Kapuaimilia Atay, Baldwin

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