As fun as it was for a former goalkeeper to watch, coach Erick Lemus was aware Waiakea’s girls soccer team’s shutout streak might not last forever.
Konawaena scored a first-half equalizer Saturday, and a second-half lull gave way to a busy final 20 minutes as the teams fought to a 1-1 draw at Ken Yamase Memorial Stadium, giving the Wildcats a key point in the Division I playoff push.
“I was definitely not playing for a tie,” Konawaena coach Kaua Wall said, “just working on cleaning up our game, winning 50-50 balls, movement. Waiakea played well.”
Afterward, the Warriors celebrated their four seniors, and this likely was a farewell on their home field. The Wildcats (8-2-1, 25 points) remained three points ahead of Waiakea (7-3-1, 22) in second place and they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker by virtue of a 3-1 win in a December match in Kealakekua.
Both teams face Hilo and Kealakehe in the final week of the regular season, and barring a sweep for Waiakea and two losses for the Wildcats, the Warriors will head back to Kealakekua for a BIIF semifinal Jan. 21.
“I think we were expecting to play each other in playoffs,” Wall said of a match that sometimes felt like a feeling-out process.
At other times, there were bursts of energy.
Late in the first half, Konawaena’s Melina Ramirez collected a pass from Zne Garrigan as she zoomed down the left flank, depositing a ball into the net, ending a streak of five-plus matches in which Waiakea and goalkeeper Tiani Kow had been unscored upon.
“That’s going to happen against good teams,” said Lemus, a former goalkeeper at UH-Hilo. “Players are going to get behind you.
“I told the girls I was happy with the way they played. We knew if we wanted a chance to play at home in the playoffs, we needed to win. I liked the intensity. There was a bit of a letdown after (Konawaena) scored, but sometimes that’s to be expected.”
Jacelyn Cambra scored on a free kick to give the Warriors an early lead. Just a sophomore, Cambra is already one of the Warriors’ co-captains.
“She is one I know is going to push forward and never stop,” Lemus said.
In the middle of the second half, there was a stare down between Waiakea’s Jadyn Nevaeh Clark and Konawaena’s Tatia Denis-McRight that resulted in Clark getting pushed. No cards were issued, and the matched seem to open up after that.
Garrigan got a good look in traffic at the mouth of Waiakea’s goal, but she put a shot right on Kow.
On the other end, Macey Soares pushed the pace and had her shot deflected out of bounds to set up a corner kick. Keilee Silva sent a nice pass through to the box, but Wildcats keeper Kyanah Blas emerged from the scrum with the ball.
Wall wanted three points, but the result was an improvement over a 2-1 loss to Kamehameha on Jan. 5 in which the Warriors shocked the Wildcats with two goals on the final minutes.
“It was definitely hard to get past,” Wall said. “We’ve been working on our communication.
“When we’re up against Hilo and Waiakea, we’re going to battle it all the way until the end.”
The Vikings, who have allowed two goals all season, visit the Wildcats on Monday, with Waiakea likely to follow on the Monday after that.
Hawaii Prep 5, Kamehameha 0: In her second match after returning from injury, Emi Higgins buried her sixth and seventh goals as Ka Makani cruised at Paiea Stadium to secure the top seed in the Division II playoffs and lock up a berth in the state tournament.
Bella Police also scored her seventh goal, and Catie Moynahan and Makana Blake finished with a goal each for HPA (9-1-1), which hosts Honokaa in a Jan. 21 BIIF semifinal.
Maia Mills and Regan Riley combined on the shutout of the Warriors (7-4), who will host Makua Lani in the semifinals.
Honokaa 8, Ka’u 0: Tasha Ohta tallied a hat trick and Sage Sagon scored twice as the Dragons (3-8-1) won in Pahala.
Aaliyah Kawaihae, Carolee Hanks and Kylie Aurello added a goal apiece.
Kealakehe 5, Keaau 0: The Waveriders (4-7) went on the road and clinched the fourth and final postseason berth in Division I.
Boys
Waiakea 4, Konawaena 2: John Grover netted his team-high 11th goal of the season, and Kadin Hatakenaka, Colby Kerr and Javier Cuevas also scored as the host Warriors (8-1-1) remained in second place in the tight D-I standings.
Rudy Huerta scored twice for the Wildcats (3-8), who fell into a fifth-place tie with Kohala in D-II.
Honokaa 7, Ka’u 0: The Dragons used seven different scorers and two goalkeepers for a road win that vaulted them into sole possession of fourth place in D-II.
Shevon Monell-Lagaret, Malachi Pesta, Koa Miche, Kelson Pedro, Daneau Domingo, Sherwin Acob and Rhase Tolentino put home a goal apiece for Honokaa (4-9, 12 points) and Ethan Seo-Sandoval and Tyler Yamada played in goal.
Kamehameha 2, Kohala 0: Ethan Shimabukuro and Kana’i Eckart scored first-half goals at Paiea Stadium, and goalkeeper Christian Hironaga helped them stand up as the Warriors tuned up for a match against Makua Lani.
In a battle for first place, the Lions (8-4, 24 points) visit Kamehameha (8-5, 24) at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
After a 3-2 start, the Cowboys have lost six in a row.
Kealakehe 9, Keaau 0: The Waveriders won on the road to stay on the heels of Hilo and Waiakea in D-I.
Kealakehe remained in fourth place, three points behind second place Waiakea, heading into the Waveriders’ home match Monday against Waiakea.
