LIHU‘E — Dakota Barnett nailed a penalty kick with seconds remaining in the game to give Kapa‘a a 3-2 edge over the visiting Hilo Vikings Sunday at Vidinha Stadium. Barnett’s shot past Hilo goalkeeper Faith Matsuura broke a 2-2 deadlock
LIHU‘E — Dakota Barnett nailed a penalty kick with seconds remaining in the game to give Kapa‘a a 3-2 edge over the visiting Hilo Vikings Sunday at Vidinha Stadium.
Barnett’s shot past Hilo goalkeeper Faith Matsuura broke a 2-2 deadlock and was catalyzed after Sierra Mayer was roughed up in the box during a skirmish for ball control.
With the Kapa‘a win, the Vikings return to Hilo with a win, a loss and a tie. On Friday night, the Vikings battled to a 1-1 deadlock with Kaua‘i High School before shutting down Waimea 4-0 Saturday.
The Sunday match was rescheduled from its original Saturday night outing at the Kapa‘a New Town Park stadium after inclement weather forced the postponement.
The overnight rest only served to stoke the Warriors’ appetite as they struck for two goals in the first half and played tenacious defense during the physical and aggressive matchup.
Laurie Tamayo got an assist when Lily Fredrickson followed the ball into the net after Hilo goalkeeper Mandy Kaapuni went down on the save attempt and Fredrickson charged in for the rebound in the 31st minute.
With seconds remaining in the half, Seri Niimi-Burch netted Kapa‘a’s second goal on a play initiated when Barnett took a shot and in the ensuing rebounding, Niimi-Burch closed the door in traffic.
In the heavy traffic just left of the goalmouth, Hilo’s Nathalie Orevillo lay on the ground, and following the inspection for injury, head referee Sonny Kaona signaled the half. Orevillo, remaining in the position she dropped on the field, was later taken to the hospital by ambulance as a precaution said Dr. Rick Goodale, serving as an assistant referee and inspecting the fallen Viking stopper.
That incident did not lessen the physical matchup as both sides waged a defensive slugfest in the second half.
Tiffany Kerr, icing Hilo’s win over Waimea with a penalty kick, Saturday, notched her second penalty kick goal in the Kaua‘i series late in the game after her leg was called on following Rose Nakamura getting jostled in the box.
Kapa‘a still controlled the scoreboard, but Hilo turned the ball and Nakamura notched a goal to tie the match less than a minute following Kerr’s score.
Nakamura’s ball came from the rightside traffic when Brettni Kerr crossed the ball to the middle where Nakamura was waiting about 10 yards outside the goal.
That set the stage for Barnett’s go-ahead goal when Kapa‘a drove downfield in answer to the Hilo score.
Of note in the matchup was the strong defensive showing by Larissa Crain whose power and speed moved the ball effectively out of danger, and those getting by were saved by Raquelle Matayoshi, goalie for Kapa‘a, who was jostled by the aggressive Hilo forwards on several occasions, but remained steadfast in defense.
Colby Ayonon is the coach for the Kapa‘a girls soccer team.
