The last time the 'Iolani girls soccer team made the state tournament, head coach Kristin Masunaga and her assistants were in uniform as players. They went on to beat Kamehameha for the title.

Now they've completed the circle.

Sophomore forward Samantha Dacanay tied the game at 1-1 in the 46th minute and the Raiders kept it that way through the end of regulation yesterday against Kamehameha in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu regular-season finale at windy Kunuiakea Stadium.

The tie gave 'Iolani (10-1-1) the ILH's second berth in the upcoming state tournament, marking the Raiders' first appearance in states since 1999.

Perennial ILH favorite Kamehameha's season ended at 9-3.

Masunaga motioned toward assistant coaches Jamie Shoma and Jodie Tanga and nodded.

“;The three of us were on that last team that went to states,”; she said. “;We remember how good it felt and now it's come back around. Now it's even more special. The past 10 years, none of our girls have known what it feels like to make the state tournament. These girls have worked so hard and they deserve it.”;

With the ILH owning just two berths into the HHSAA state championships, and Punahou already assured one of them, it was essentially a playoff game, albeit with different implications.

'Iolani needed just a tie to get the second spot. A win would have evened them with Punahou and forced a playoff game tomorrow for the ILH regular-season crown. Kamehameha had to win outright to claim the second ILH spot.

Kamehameha went straight to work early. The Warriors' attack paid off in the 12th minute when senior defender Sammie St. John served up a sweeping free kick from the right side to Vanessa Cabilan, who headed the ball toward the far post and past the goalkeeper to give Kamehameha a 1-0 advantage it took into halftime.

'Iolani regrouped in the second half. In what Dacanay described as, “;part pep talk, part kick in the butt,”; Masunaga told her team to attack early. The Raiders did just that. Just 6 minutes in, Malia Brennan, a sophomore midfielder, crossed the ball to Dacanay, who footed the ball into the net.

“;Malia sent a beautiful cross, I just happened to be at the right place to put it in,”; Dacanay said.