PUHI — A missed penalty kick in the junior varsity match, and solid ball control by the Red Raiders in the varsity game yielded a Kaua‘i sweep over Kapa‘a, Thursday afternoon at the Island School complex. The JV match was
PUHI — A missed penalty kick in the junior varsity match, and solid ball control by the Red Raiders in the varsity game yielded a Kaua‘i sweep over Kapa‘a, Thursday afternoon at the Island School complex.
The JV match was settled when Ashlie Overmyer had an opportunity for a penalty kick late in the game, but missed the opportunity as the ball dribbled left of the goalmouth to give Kaua‘i JV a 2-1 edge at the whistle.
During the varsity match, Kaua‘i notched two second-half goals within two minutes of each other to lock up a 4-0 win over the Kapa‘a Warrior wahine.
Greg Gonsalves, the Kapa‘a athletic director, said the game formerly scheduled for Wednesday at the New Kapa‘a Town Park stadium was moved because the field was unplayable and there were safety issues involved.
“When I stopped there to pick up the soccer balls this morning, the field was still wet with spots of standing water,” Gonsalves said. “We had to play this game because the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation has a full schedule starting next week, and it would be hard on the coaches and teams if they were to play three games in a week.”
Luckily, Island School’s Sean Magoun and Kaipo Kealalio agreed to host the game that was only briefly sprinkled on by the remants of a passing weather front.
Kaua‘i JV struck early, moving the ball from the kickoff to within range of the Kapa‘a goalmouth, and on its second attempt at a goal, Ciara Caires, playing deep on one side of the goal, headed in a corner kick in the third minute of play.
A defensive slugfest ensued for most of the first half until a Red Raider offense sent Overmyer to the penalty kick in the 26th minute to deadlock the match 1-1 at the half.
Leiana Alejandro broke open in the 55th minute and on a charge up the middle settled the ball in the folds.
But Kapa‘a was not done as another Red Raider infraction sent Overmyer to the ball on another penalty kick late in the game.
That kick went left of the goal to end the possibility of a deadlock.
Alyssa “Malu” Vegas found the net for Kaua‘i in the 13th minute of the varsity match, taking a shot from the outside with the ball getting past Kapa‘a goalkeeper Shelby Cocke.
Cocke saw a lot of action throughout the game as Kaua‘i peppered the net while Kaua‘i goalkeeper Kawehi Louis-Diamond had her share of saves, the majority coming in the first half when Kapa‘a got past the midfield.
During the second half, the Warriors were limited to just a handful of sojourns past midfield.
Noe Tamashiro’s follow-up of a Malia Kagawa corner kick upped the ante, 2-0 as the whistle blew on the 40th minute.
Kapa‘a continued to press, but the Raider defense, led by Teal Basquez and Kagawa at midfield, continued to hold the Warriors at bay.
Turning to a new crop of forwards, Kaua‘i got its third goal from Kelsey Cadiente from the rightside in the 67th minute, just seconds after she requested a substitution from her coaches.
A goal from Anolani Coon in the 69th minute sealed the win.
Kapa‘a girls next travel to the Hanapepe Stadium, Wednesday, to meet Waimea High School with the JV girls starting at 4:30 p.m. followed by the varsity girls kicking off at 6:30 p.m.
Kaua‘i JV girls will play an exhibition match against Island School, also on Wednesday, starting at 4 p.m.
The KIF boys soccer teams won’t be in action until Jan. 12.
