Matas Taylor came up with two first-half goals to give Hilo its only win during a three-game road trip this weekend. Taylor netted her only scores of the road trip against Waimea High School on Saturday afternoon at Hanapepe Stadium,
Matas Taylor came up with two first-half goals to give Hilo its only win during a three-game road trip this weekend.
Taylor netted her only scores of the road trip against Waimea High School on Saturday afternoon at Hanapepe Stadium, picking up a 2-0 win behind Taylor’s scores.
Earlier, the Vikings, delayed by weather in Hilo, came straight to the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Sports Park in Wailua on Friday and dropped its opener 4-2 to Kaua‘i High School girls who were also playing against trying to catch a flight to O‘ahu for a pre-season tournament.
Saturday morning, the Vikings, a Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Division I squad, faced off against the Kapa‘a High School girls, dropping that contest 5-1.
In its two early matches, Hilo’s strong midfielder, Rose Nakamura, netted both goals against Kaua‘i and the sole goal against Kapa‘a on Saturday.
“Hilo is a pretty strong team,” said Dennis Chan, one of the Kaua‘i boys’ coaches who helped officiate the Waimea game. “They had a tough game in the morning, but still had fresh legs and could run.”
Jazzy Curtis, being effectively utilized as both a defender and striker by Kaua‘i coaches Reiko Yoshida and Arlene Devitt, opened the books on the road trip, striking in the 16th minute on a follow-through of a Malu Vegas corner kick.
Nanea Babila pocketed the next goal in the 23rd minute, taking a pass from the congested midfield and working her shot from the rightside pocket.
Vegas took the next goal in the 34th minute, the result of a drive initiated when the Kaua‘i defender turned the Hilo drive to Kaua‘i’s advantage, the overall play drawing praise from Coach Devitt.
Four minutes later, Caitlyn Rapozo, coming off the Kaua‘i football’s special teams as a kicker, capitalized on a penalty kick for the 4-0 halftime lead.
Using the intermission to settle from the rigors of the delayed flight, Hilo came back, capitalizing on a lapse in the Kaua‘i defense, Nakamura plugging the opening with a goal.
Nakamura had another scoring opportunity with about 10 minutes showing in the game on a penalty kick. Her foot found the net against the No. 2 goalkeeper for Kaua‘i, but an out of position player called back the ball and the second attempt went awry.
That penalty shot was a result of a red card against a Kaua‘i player, and in the absence of one player, Nakamura iced the Hilo effort with a goal in the final minute of play for the 4-2 effort.
First-year Kapa‘a coach Lynn Minei and her coaching crew gave the wahine Warriors an opportunity to try its wings Saturday, with Kekai Gonsalves taking wing with a hat trick to lead the Lady Warriors to its 5-1 win.
Gonsalves pocketed her first goal 12 minutes into play, taking a pass from Cassie Wilson for the opening score.
Both teams locked into a defensive slugfest, the Warriors relying on the speed of Kehau Relacion to outrun the Vikings’ forwards and effectively turn the ball while Mia Cabulisan anchored the other corner.
Gonsalves picked up her second goal at the 35th minute and, with less than a minute remaining in the half, Sierra Riemer, playing a strong defensive midfield, nailed a penalty kick for the 3-0 halftime lead.
Ten minutes into the second half, Nakamura was hailed for the penalty kick to give Hilo its sole score.
Rachel Hinkel, taking the striker position, went point-blank against Hilo goalkeeper Alohi Chambless and netted a goal against the steadfast goalie in the 72nd minute.
Gonsalves locked up her hat trick eight minutes later, capitalizing on a corner kick.
The Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation boys team get its opportunity to try out their soccer legs when the Pearl City Chargers come to visit starting Friday.
The Chargers play Kapa‘a at a time and place to be determined on Friday afternoon. Kaua‘i boys travel to Hanapepe Stadium for a 10 a.m. match against Pearl City and Waimea hosts the Chargers in a 4 p.m. game. The Chargers close off its road trip Sunday morning against Island School in a 10 a.m. match at the Island School campus.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
