It wasn't supposed to end this way.

After the final whistle blew to signal the end of Moanalua's 1-0 loss to Aiea in the second round of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference boys soccer tournament last Wednesday, Kelsey Tsutsui fell to the turf, clutching his head in his hands.

After helping Moanalua make it to the Division I state tournament the past two years, the senior midfielder for Na Menehune had envisioned advancing further in postseason play. Suddenly, that goal was in jeopardy.

“;We were kinda shocked,”; Tsutsui admitted. “;We felt very disappointed.”;

An All-State honorable mention pick last year, Tsutsui led the OIA during the regular season with 10 goals as Moanalua finished atop the Red East standings at 6-3-3.

Tsutsui banged home two goals in a 2-all tie against Kalaheo in December and followed it up with a three-goal outburst in a 4-1 win over Kalani. Two of Tsutsui's goals against the Falcons came on set pieces in the second half, one on a throw-in and the other on a free kick.

The scoring spree came as no surprise. Tsutsui is following in the footsteps of his brother Rayden, who led the OIA in scoring with 16 goals during his senior year at Moanalua in 2007 before moving on to play at Hawaii Pacific.

Kelsey Tsutsui was a freshman on the varsity squad during Rayden's senior year, but their physiques and playing styles differ.

“;Rayden was more shifty than Kelsey,”; Moanalua coach Spencer Machado said. “;He was a defensive player, but when we needed a score, we would send him up and he would score for us.”;

At 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, the wiry younger brother is surprisingly strong on the ball despite constant attention by opposing teams.

“;Kelsey is more stable,”; Machado said. “;Once the ball comes to him, because of his size, he doesn't need to be too shifty.

“;His presence alone in the midfield is awesome. I don't think anyone can stay with him in the league physically and skill-wise. He can score. He can play defense. He can run you off the ball. He has size. So he's pretty stable in the defense. He's got the whole package.”;

Following the loss to Aiea, Moanalua (8-4-3) bounced back and fought through the losers bracket of the tournament, beating Kaiser and Roosevelt to capture a Division I berth in this week's JN Automotive Group/HHSAA Boys Soccer State Championships at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park.

Tsutsui was shut out during the league tournament, but Moanalua's other scorers stepped up. Brett Rex and Alex Colby converted goals to lead Na Menehune over Kaiser 2-1 on Thursday, and Colby's second-half goal led Na Menehune past Roosevelt 1-0 the following night.

Though Tsutsui was bottled up last week, he did just fine finding the back of the net during the regular season.

He's deadly right outside the box,”; Machado said. “;If he's gonna take a shot, that goalie better be ready.”;

“;Even on throw-ins when he knows he's being marked, all he focuses on is the ball that's coming and what he's gonna do with it,”; senior Moanalua sweeper Ethan Chang said. “;That's why even when he's covered, he does get a lot of goals.”;

Tsutsui has already been accepted at Hawaii Pacific and hopes to suit up for the Sea Warriors soccer team next season.

At a higher level, Tsutsui may be more suited to play defense, where he plays for his club team, Real Hawaii Rush.

“;He definitely can make it at the next level, there's no doubt about it,”; said Machado.

“;To me, it doesn't really matter where I play,”; Tsutsui said. “;If I play, then I play.”;

Two years ago, Moanalua lost to Kamehameha in the opening round. And last year, Na Menehune lost in the first round again before battling King Kekaulike to a scoreless tie in the consolation championship.

But after earning a reprieve and extending their season, Na Menehune are alive to play another day. Moanalua opens state tournament play against Pearl City today.

“;We've had our ups and downs but pulled through it,”; Tsutsui said. “;We're expecting to go a little bit farther than the past two years.”;