LIHU‘E — The Menehune seemed to have the win in the palm of their hands, but it turned out to be a hand that let the Red Raiders back in the game. Kaua‘i tied up its contest with Waimea at
LIHU‘E — The Menehune seemed to have the win in the palm of their hands, but it turned out to be a hand that let the Red Raiders back in the game.
Kaua‘i tied up its contest with Waimea at 1-1 after a handball in the box just two minutes before the final whistle.
Corey Nemeth connected on the penalty kick to even the score in the 80th minute and Kaua‘i and Waimea each came away with a point in the standings, Saturday in the finale of a KIF quadruple-header at Vidinha Stadium.
Waimea took a 1-0 lead late in the first half on a beautiful free kick by Caleb Licke. That time it was a Kaua‘i handball just outside the box that set up the try. The Menehune side thought the foul occurred inside the box for a resultant penalty kick, but the officials conferred and placed the ball just outside for a free kick.
It turned out to be the perfect distance for Licke, as he sent a chip to the far post that got over the leaping goalie’s arms and found the back of the net.
Though Kaua‘i had more possession in the Waimea half of the field during the opening 40 minutes, the Menehune were coming away with the better chances. Licke had two previous shots that almost opened up the scoring and Devan Banasihan-Kenney and Bryson Tacata each had good attempts that sailed just over the post.
In the second half, Kaua‘i, already trailing 1-0, had Grant Basquez sent off with a straight red card after he collided with Waimea goalie Beau Acoba in the 62nd minute. Mason Vegas sent a good cross into the box, but Acoba came over for the save. Basquez leapt for a header, but crashed into Acoba in mid-air, drawing the quick red.
Even down a man, the Raiders began to get good chances. A Nemeth corner kick got free in the box before being cleared by a Waimea defender. Kyle Napoleon grounded a shot that was saved by Acoba and Nemeth had another corner that got great curve, but went out beyond the far post for a goal kick.
Kaua‘i’s Devin Vegas was hit with a yellow card on a challenge in the 66th minute.
The equalizer was actually scored twice, as Nemeth’s initial penalty attempt went in at the lower right corner of the goal. But the official called the players back as there had been some early movement into the box behind the shot. Nemeth put his second attempt into the exact same spot to tie things up.
In the girls varsity match, Kelsey Cadiente scored both goals for the Red Raiders in Kaua‘i’s 2-0 victory over Waimea.
Cadiente got her side on the board in the 52nd minute, then added the insurance score in the 64th minute.
The Kaua‘i-Waimea junior varsity girls match ended in a 0-0 tie, neither side able to break loose for the deciding score.
The Kapa‘a Warriors notched a 3-0 win over the Island School Voyagers in a varsity boys match at the Puhi field, Saturday morning.
Lowen Gonzales got the Warriors on the board in the 12th minute, but the two sides played evenly for much of the day, until Matt Domingcil gave Kapa‘a a 2-0 lead with a goal in the 66th minute.
Max Goode provided the capper with a score in the 71st minute.
The Kapa‘a girls JV was a 3-0 winner in an exhibition match with Island School. Ashlee Overmyer had the first goal in the 15th minute and Kekai Gonsalves scored twice in the second half for Kapa‘a.
Results from the Kaua‘i-Waimea JV boys match were unavailable at press time.
