It wasn’t easy, but Hawaii Prep’s girls soccer team moved within a win of adding a seventh title to its state Division II tournament dynasty.
Bella Police scored in the first minute Friday on Oahu, and Riley Sohriakoff and Kahele Walsh tacked on goals in the second half as Ka Makani beat Kapaa 3-0 to reach its ninth consecutive championship match.
“Today was a battle,” coach Steve Perry said. “We came out and scored 27 seconds in. But we were outplayed for rest of half. We needed to relax and work together more.
“Second half, we adjusted and worked better. Kind of wore them down. Kept pushing to get that second goal. Didn’t want to settle in and defend all game.”
At 5 p.m. Saturday, BIIF champion HPA (13-1) seeks its seventh consecutive state title against Kauai, which came back to beat No. 3 Mid-Pacific 2-1.
“Will be exciting (Saturday),” Perry said.
Kauai is in its first final since 2011, when it fell to Mid-Pacific. The second-seeded Raiders (13-0) are seeking their first championship, and they got the opportunity after Noe Kaya and Eyrka Napoleon scored in the goals in the final 10 minutes to beat the Owls.
BIIF runner-up Kamehameha (8-5-3), which lost in the quarterfinals, rebounded in consolation play, zapping Waianae 8-0, behind two first-half goals from Kastle Lyman. Sophia Wilson, Chenoa Frederick, Kirstyn Mahaulu, Kawai Kauahi, Raeshalyn Respicio, Taylan Mangauil-Noah also found the back of the net for the Warriors, who play Waimea in the fifth place match at 3 p.m. Saturday. Menehune (5-7-3) reached the the final day of the tournament after being the final team to make the field. On Jan. 27, Waimea beat Honokaa 4-1 in a play-in game on Kauai.
Division I
Kamehameha-Kapalama 3, Konawaena 0: The top-seeded and defending state champion Warriors scored three second-half goals, two from Kalia Kalua, as the BIIF champion Wildcats, the fourth seed, fell in the semifinals for the second consecutive year.
Konawaena goalkeeper Kyanah Blas helped keep the match scoreless through the first 40 minutes of play, which featured a lengthy delay when Wildcats junior Finesity Salinas‐Gouveia was injured after a collision and had to stabilized on the ground before being taken away in an ambulance.
Kalua scored twice during a two-minute span early in the second half, and Justice Colburn added a goal late in the match.
Konawaena, the only BIIF D-I team to reach a final four, fell to 0-3 in state semifinals. It will play Pearl City at 3 p.m. Saturday as it tries to match its third-place finish from a year ago.
