LIHUE — The Red Raider girls inched closer to clinching the league title.
Kauai High School’s varsity girls soccer team (8-0-0 KIF, 24 points) defeated Kapaa High School, 7-2, Saturday afternoon at Vidinha Stadium.
One more win would clinch Kauai the Kauai Interscholastic Federation championship.
“We’ve worked really hard as a unit. The girls have worked really hard independently. I’m just extremely proud, again, of the effort that the girls put in,” said Kauai head coach Auika Metcalfe. “In practices, we’re there working hard. My assistant coaches Chance Bukoski and Joe Cassler are the people that help round out our team. I’m really excited to see where we go.”
Kauai’s Mia Takekuma scored four goals in Saturday’s match.
Takekuma scored twice in the first half, including the go-ahead goal, and twice in the second half.
“We’re in awe of Miss Mia,” Metcalfe said of Takekuma. “She surprises us every day. I’m always surprised by how much she always has left in the tank. She pushes 110 percent every single day in the game and in practices. She’s always somebody that we can rely on. She’s incredible.”
Kauai’s Kehela Ventura bagged a brace, and Adriana Hernandez scored late in the second half.
“We’re finding space. We’re trying to move the ball more into the center and again out to the wings and to our forwards, crashing to goal. We had a few lucky ones where we had the people at the right place and right time. These girls aren’t afraid to take it on, and that’s the exciting part — just watching them keep pushing.”
Kapaa (4-3-1 KIF, 13 points) scored both its goals on free kicks.
Kapaa’s Taelyn Nunes scored an equalizer early in the first half to level the score at 1-1 after Ventura scored the match’s first goal minutes after the opening whistle.
Dina Hayes scored Kapaa’s second goal at the 72nd minute.
“Set pieces, they are what what they are. We did execute in those situations,” said Kapaa head coach Andrea Alfiler. “But we have to finish in our other offensive opportunities. We had those opportunities, but we have to find the back of the net when we’re creating scoring opportunities in the offensive third (of the field).”
Alfiler added though the game started well for her team, it had its troubles against Kauai’s offense.
“I think that first 20 minutes, we were pretty equal. But I think Kauai High’s bread and butter is playing that through ball, and we kept getting beat on it,” Alfiler said.
Kauai will play at Island School (0-8-0 KIF, 0 points) at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Puhi. Kapaa will host Waimea (3-4-1 KIF, 10 points) at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Vidinha Stadium.
Scoring summary
Kauai: Mia Takekuma 4 (20’, 24’, 57’, 69’), Kehela Ventura 2 (3’, 45’), Adriana Hernandez (78’)
Kapaa: Taelyn Nunes (6’), Dina Hayes (72’)
