Kalani girls reach OIA soccer semis
By Leila Wai
Advertiser Staff Writer
Unrelenting offensive pressure resulted in four second-half goals for Kalani, which beat Castle, 5-0, in an O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference quarterfinal game yesterday at Kapolei High.
Kalani (11-1-1) meets Kapolei (8-2-3) tonight in one semifinal at 7 at Kapolei. Moanalua (11-2-0) and Mililani (13-0-0) play in the other semifinal at 5:15 p.m. Kalani clinched a berth in the state tournament with yesterday's win. Castle (3-10-1) still has a shot at one of the OIA's six berths.
Kalani dominated in the first half, taking double-digit shots that never found the goal until junior midfielder Tambrie Awai scored in the 35th minute. With the Knights unable to clear successive shots, the ball popped up in the air in the 18-yard box and Awai leaped up and volleyed it.
"I think that first goal allowed them to start really playing their game as opposed to being a tiny bit frantic about getting that first goal," Kalani coach Michelle Richardson-De Almeida said.
That goal fueled the Falcons, who scored again in the first minute of the second half on a shot from the top of the 18-yard box by senior midfielder Courtney Oshiro.
"I think the girls understood the challenges they were facing in terms of the first half, and they proved in the first moments of the second half that that's the way they should be playing," Richardson-De Almeida said.
Senior forward Randee Yamada scored in the 56th minute off a corner kick by senior forward Sonya Aguirre that was initially shot by senior midfielder Andrea Aguirre. The ball bounced out of the keeper's possession to Yamada's foot.
Two minutes later, Andrea Aguirre set up twin sister Sonya with a through ball into the 18-yard box that Sonya finished with a shot into the right side of the goal.
In the 73rd minute, freshman midfielder Jana Kakugawa scored on a cross from junior midfielder Jordan Lopez to end the scoring.
The Falcons beat the Knights twice in the regular season by a combined score of 9-0.
Castle coach Mark Kane said his team's strategy yesterday was to mark the Aguirres and Yamada, and noted that the first goal didn't come from any of them.
"We lost our concentration at the start of the second half, and then we let down," Kane said.
Note: Mililani beat Moanalua, 5-0, yesterday to win its 10th straight OIA Red JV title. ... Wai'anae beat Kailua, 1-0, to win the OIA White JV title.
O'ahu Interscholastic Association
Red Varsity Tournament
Quarterfinals
Moanalua 2, Pearl City 1
Moan: Storm Kenui 2. PC: Parishaan Carter-Amorin
Kalani 5, Castle 0
Kal: Courtney Oshiro, Sonya Aguirre, Tambrie Awai, Randee Yamada, Jana Kakugawa
Mililani 2, Kaiser 1, 2 OT (PK 4-2).
Mil: Taylor Oldani. Kais: Julia Borges
Kapolei 4, Leilehua 1
Kap: Kristina Behrens, Cherise Vidinha, Brooke Bush, Deylynn White. Lei: Kearsten Sego
White Varsity Tournament
Semifinals
Kailua 7, Kaimukī 0
Kail: Danielle Galveso 2, Tiana DeCosta, Cheyenne Kadooka, Ashley Kanoho, Jessica Alameida, Rhiana Beauregard
Nānākuli 2, Radford 0
Nana: Jasmine Jesus, Chelsea Eli-Kido
Red JV Tournament
Mililani 5, Moanalua 0
Mili: Kayla Wright 3, Emilee Craig, Brittney Gideon
White JV Tournament
Wai'anae 1, Kailua 0 (2 OT)
Wai: Alex Pelen