Kalaheo needed just a few more seconds, and Waimea needed a bench Tuesday night. The Kalaheo Galaxy fell 5-4 to the Northshore Psychos in a shootout, and the Waimea Rejuvenators were victimized 9-0 by the Northshore Bombers in the semifinals
Kalaheo needed just a few more seconds, and Waimea needed a bench Tuesday night.
The Kalaheo Galaxy fell 5-4 to the Northshore Psychos in a shootout, and the Waimea Rejuvenators were victimized 9-0 by the Northshore Bombers in the semifinals of the Wil Veeck soccer tournament at Vidinha Stadium.
“It’s going to be a Region 941 final,” said Bob French of the American Soccer Youth Organization, Region 940, after both Region 940 teams fell.
The championship for the Boys Under 12 division will start at 10:30 a.m., Saturday at Vidinha Stadium. It follows the Girls Under 12 match which opens the championship day at 9 a.m.
Kalaheo’s strategy of striking early and holding on came up just seconds short.
Holding a 4-3 edge and the clock ticking down, Kalaheo couldn’t stop Northshore Psychos’ Keaton Schneider who won the ball on a Kalaheo throw-in outside his own goal, and on a long breakaway down the left wing, beat out two Kalaheo defenders to knot the contest at 4-4.
That forced a shootout between the two teams and Northshore goalkeeper Logan Fredricksen stopped three consecutive Kalaheo kicks to earn the win in the shootout.
Kalaheo opened the contest with an early 2-0 lead behind goals from Krieg Medeiros, but the Northshore hammered away when Schneider found the goal late in the first quarter.
Fredricksen netted his goal within five minutes of the second quarter for the 2-2 halftime stalemate.
Brayden Tanigawa opened up the second half scorebooks on a follow-through play of a corner kick to break the deadlock.
He followed that score with another under heavy Northshore defensive pressure outside the goalmouth for the 4-2 Kalaheo lead after three quarters.
On a shot-on-goal attempt early in the final quarter, Fredricksen and Adam Schfani descended on a dying dribbler outside the net.
Fredricksen’s foot gave the ball new life as it sank in the folds for the 4-3 deficit, setting the stage for Schneider’s final goal that came with seconds remaining in the contest.
Throughout the second half, the Kalaheo defense, sparked by Kanai Banasihan managed to turn the Schneider drives short of the goal, but the one that got through proved costly as the blueshirts dropped the contest in the shootout.
Kai Haviland, Dorian Blanchard, Christian Green and Sunny Check each scored two goals as the Northshore Bombers took advantage of no Waimea substitutes en route to a 9-0 win.
The Bombers struck early, netting five goals in the first quarter and adding two more in the second quadrant for a 7-0 halftime lead.
Two more goals, one each in the third and fourth period rounded out the win.
Offense was on the mind of the Bombers who scored on almost all of their possessions in the first half while winning the ball on Waimea drives.
Blanchard opened the scorebooks followed by Haviland capping the Bombers’ second possession followed by back-to-back goals from Check who drove several long breakaways for the Bombers.
In the second half, the Rejuvenators readjusted to bring Drake Kaohelaulii out of the goalbox, and in his role as stopper, Waimea was able to stem the scoring attack from the Bombers who worked on trying to improve their passing and control game.
Chris Milan and James Pugmire anchored the midfield defense with Sean Dela Cruz and Noah Penner working the sweeper positions for Waimea.
The Northshore Bombers will meet the Northshore Psychos for the BU12 title starting at 10:30 p.m. Saturday.
Thursday, the Boys Under 14 division will have its semifinal matches starting at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. at Vidinha Stadium.
•Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
