Kapolei, Kamehameha reach Division I final

The Hurricanes and Warriors ride shutouts into tonight's match for the championship

The Kapolei Hurricanes are a team of faith, but a few good acts haven't hurt, either.

Using a new offense, the 'Canes jumped out to an early lead and never let up in a 3-0 victory over King Kekaulike in the Division I semifinals of the Meadow Gold/HHSAA Girls Soccer State Championships at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium last night.

Division I Girls State Soccer At Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium Yesterday Semifinals » Kamehameha 1, Pearl City 0 » Kapolei 3, King Kekaulike 0 Consolation » Mililani 5, Konawaena 0 » Kalani 2, Kaiser 1 Today Championship » Kamehameha vs. Kapolei, 8 p.m., Main Stadium Third place » King Kekaulike vs. Pearl City, 4 p.m., Main Stadium Fifth place » Mililani vs. Kalani, 4 p.m., Field 8 Consolation » Kamehameha-Maui vs. Kealakehe, 4 p.m., Field 7

Chelsea Swann, a sophomore forward, scored twice for Kapolei (13-2-3). The Hurricanes tweaked their offense just enough to get an edge on Na Alii.

"It was a huge benefit, watching them yesterday," Kapolei coach Brian Beck said. "We knew their midfielder is strong, so we made use of our forwards."

The 'Canes switched to a 4-3-1-2 offense, Beck said. "Once we got the 2-0 lead, we went back to a 4-3-3," he said.

That allowed senior forward Pua Pedrina to move back to her normal spot.

For Beck, it was more than just X's and O's. "We're super into prayer. That's the biggest reason we're winning," he said. "Giving glory to God has really brought this team together. They're playing well."

The Oahu Interscholastic Association champions will meet Kamehameha in tonight's final at 8.

King Kekaulike, champion of the Maui Interscholastic League, fell to 12-2-2.

"Their midfielder and fullbacks are solid, and their goalie backs them up," Na Alii coach Gundi Dancil said.

Dancil, who has guided King Kekaulike to seven state tournaments in a row, was glad to see his team reach the semifinals for the first time. With just two seniors, he hopes they get tougher next season.

"We need to put ourselves mentally into the game," he said.

The game was a stalemate for much of the first half.

"Coach said I needed to step up and be more aggressive," Swann said.

Kirsten Otsuka, a sophomore midfielder, scored at the 32-minute mark to end a scoreless battle. Four minutes later, Swann scored off a corner kick.

After halftime, Swann added her second goal at the 43-minute mark.

From that point on, it was a matter of locking down the MIL champs. King Kekaulike managed just four shots all game long against a speedy, swarming Kapolei defense.

Kapolei took 14 shots in all.

Kamehameha 1, Pearl City 0

Jenny Eugenio ripped a 35-yard rocket from midfield at the 44-minute mark to give the Warriors their first and only goal of the night.

"That's the type of player she is," Kamehameha coach Michele Nagamine said of the senior forward. "She can pass, shoot, go 1-on-1. She's got a pretty good bag of tricks."

Eugenio viewed her goal as a part of an improvised play. "We kind of built it up from the back. There was a lot of teamwork, passing up the sides," she said. "It was kind of in the moment. We had our opportunities, we pulled it together and we pulled out a win."

Kamehameha goalkeeper Kanani Taaca had another superlative performance with four of her five saves in the second half.

"She keeps us in games and makes a great impact. That's something we've struggled with in the past," Nagamine said. "She has worked so hard."

Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Kamehameha (10-0-2) will face OIA champion Kapolei in today's 8 p.m. title showdown. The two teams have not met this season.

"Just like everyone else in the tournament, Kapolei will be tough," Eugenio said.

Pearl City finished with just seven shots on goal to Kamehameha's 14. Co-coach Frank Baumholtz was satisfied.

"Some of our juniors are crying. Hopefully, that'll get 'em fired up for next year," the longtime coach said. "All of our seniors played above their level."

Despite the difference in shots on goal, Pearl City (13-3-2) had many chances to break the drought.

"The difference in so many games is, you get to the ball first, you have to rip it," Baumholtz said.

Pearl City had two golden scoring opportunities in a 6-minute span midway through the second half.

At the 53-minute mark, Bethany Gallarde broke free for a 1-on-1 with Taaca. As Gallarde sent a short shot off, Warriors midfielder Jasmine Luke hustled back and dove in front of the ball to smother the shot attempt.

Six minutes later, Kaitlyn Holt weaved through defenders on the sideline and sent a pass up to Nestle Yamaguchi, who was fouled just 10 yards from goal. Her penalty kick, however, was stopped by Taaca.

Kamehameha had its share of chances, as well. The best came at the 76-minute mark, when Meleana Shim's left-footed boot sailed just over the crossbar from 15 yards out.