HANAPEPE — Kaua‘i’s Alyssa “Malu” Vegas notched two second-half goals and Malia Kagawa sealed the 5-0 win with a penalty kick at the 80th minute, Saturday at the Hanapepe Stadium. Kagawa was clearly frustrated with her failure to find the
HANAPEPE — Kaua‘i’s Alyssa “Malu” Vegas notched two second-half goals and Malia Kagawa sealed the 5-0 win with a penalty kick at the 80th minute, Saturday at the Hanapepe Stadium.
Kagawa was clearly frustrated with her failure to find the net on more than a handful of corner kicks throughout the game, but her foot finally found success as the game wound down.
Kaua‘i was held to just one goal in the first half as the Menehune defense stymied a Raider advantage of the wind at their back and a new offensive lineup that saw Teal Basquez move up from defender position to forward.
Using the wind to its advantage, the Raiders had the ball in Menehune country for most of the period, Kaua‘i goalkeeper Kawehi Louis-Diamond chalking up just one save in the half as a testament.
But despite this proximity to scoring, Kaua‘i was held to just one goal from Janin Hashizume who finally found the net at the 27th minute for the 1-0 edge.
Jayme Jacinto, coming off a KIF girls basketball the night before, was joined by fellow roundballer Vakeesha Lagazo in the midfield in heading up the Menehune defense that saw Kaycee Nordmeier match up against Basquez on more than one occasion.
Vegas upped the ante in the second half, coming against the wind and finding the net in the 50th minute, and following that score on an assist from Anolani Coon at the 69th minute.
Coon finished the game with two assists, her second one coming after charging the Waimea goalkeeper at nearly point-blank range, but the goalkeeper pushing the ball back where Nanea Babila nailed the goal on the rebound past a Menehune defender and goalkeeper.
Kagawa got the penalty kick in the final seconds.
Earlier in the day, Chloe Fredericksen, Jamie Brun and Madisson Hinkel found the net to lead the Kapa‘a junior varsity girls to a 3-0 win over the Island School Voyagers in an exhibition match.
Tierra Teter, coming off participating in the KIF qualifying swim meet in the morning, matched a goal from Leiana Alejandro to lead Waimea to a 1-1 deadlock against the Red Raiders in the JV match.
The Kaua‘i varsity girls travel next to the New Kapa‘a Town Park Stadium, Wednesday where they open a double-header starting at 4:30 p.m. against Kapa‘a.
The varsity boys return to action when Kapa‘a hosts Kaua‘i starting at 6:30 p.m.
Waimea men will be in action against Island School starting at 4 p.m.
