’Canes learn,
beat Raiders

Quantity and size matter little to the Kapolei Hurricanes.

The speedy 'Canes got two breakaway goals in the first half and rode the sterling play of goalkeeper April Due for a 3-0 win over Kahuku last night at Aiea field.

Kapolei (7-3-1) advanced to the quarterfinals of the Oahu Interscholastic Association girls soccer playoffs. The Hurricanes play at West No. 1 seed Pearl City (9-0-1) today.

Kahuku closed its season 5-5-2.

The win was a classic example of learning from history. Kahuku edged Kapolei 1-0 in the Moanalua Thanksgiving Tournament. Kapolei went back and studied that video. The Hurricanes came out with a simple game plan: draw the Red Raiders in, and make them pay.

"We realized that if they don't change anything, we can kind of hold back, just chip it and beat the goalie," Due said. The game plan worked perfectly. With the Red Raiders drawn in, Channey Lopez scored on a breakaway to give Kapolei a 1-0 lead 3 minutes and 30 seconds into the contest.

"Channey normally plays sweeper, but we had her in front," Due noted.

Less than 8 minutes later, Chyanne Alejado scored on a similar play. Alejado's 15-yard goal from straight away gave the Hurricanes a 2-0 lead.

"From the first time we played them, they got much better," Kahuku coach Sandy Huddy said. "Those two breakaways caught us off guard."

Kahuku got 13 shots on goal without scoring, thanks to some timely saves by Due, who plays far bigger than her 5-foot-7 frame. "They are a tough team. They're huge," Due said.

Midway through the first half, Gina Ahue came close on a 20-yarder from straight away, but was too high. Less than four minutes later, Kelly Pao, the second-leading scorer in the OIA East, got her chance. The junior forward took a pass from Ahue and tapped a shot from 10 yards out, but missed to the left by the smallest of margins.

Jozelle Gabriel had a clear shot midway through the second half from about 20 yards, but Due came up with a diving stop, Amanda Richardson fed Tatiana Tibbits for a 15-yard kick, giving Kapolei its third goal.

Aiea 1, Castle 0: Tobi Kanehira nailed a 35-yard shot down the middle with 5 seconds left as the host Na Alii pulled out a thriller against the Knights.

Kanehira, a senior fullback-halfback, was covered outside the box as time was about to expire. "She was on my side, and when I touched it to my right, she went that way," Kanehira said of the defender. Once she was just a bit open, she slammed a left-footed shot -- her off foot -- and the ball sailed high, curling over the keeper for the game's only goal.

Aiea (9-1-1), the No. 3 seed in the West, advanced to the quarterfinals today.

"They came out and played hard. They didn't play like a sixth-place team," Kanehira said. Aiea had plenty of scoring opportunities -- 12 shots on goal -- but Castle had two chances late in the game to break the scoring drought.

At the 83-minute mark, Mari Tom absorbed contact from an Aiea defender and fell, giving her team a free kick from about 35 yards away. The pass was good, the Knights (5-4-2) missed their shot.

Two minutes later, Aili McDonald sent a free kick in from 40 yards out. The ball went through the hands of Aiea's keeper and rolled just outside of the goal.

That set up Kanehira's game-winning goal. "We had a season to improve," Castle coach Mark Kane said, referring to his team's 3-1 preseason loss at Aiea. "We're happy with the way we played. It was pretty even all the way, but somebody had to lose. Too bad it was us. Our team played its hearts out."