LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Under-16 roller hockey team officially goes by the name Spread the Aloha. Apparently, Team Kaua‘i’s version of aloha doesn’t include sharing. Team Kaua‘i, under the guidance of head coach Tyson Wakayama, defeated the top-seeded Kapolei Warriors
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Under-16 roller hockey team officially goes by the name Spread the Aloha.
Apparently, Team Kaua‘i’s version of aloha doesn’t include sharing.
Team Kaua‘i, under the guidance of head coach Tyson Wakayama, defeated the top-seeded Kapolei Warriors 6-0 in the championship game of the 2012 North American Roller Hockey Regional Championships Sunday on O‘ahu for its ninth straight championship.
The victory avenged a first-round loss to the Warriors in the opening game of the round-robin format tournament.
“We looked a little sluggish in the first game,” John Masterson, an assistant coach for Team Kaua‘i, said. “But we knew we would see the Warriors again in the finals.”
Team Kaua‘i won its next three games to clinch a spot in the final against the Warriors to set up a rematch.
In the championship game, Masterson said Team Kaua‘i jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead and put the Warriors in the rear-view mirror when Marcus Punua scored on a penalty shot.
“Our team is not known for that. We’re usually coming from behind,” he said. “It was awesome for me because I wasn’t having a heart attack.”
Along with the members of the U16 team, Masterson said a Kaua‘i team playing in the Men’s Open division placed third in the tournament. Two Kaua‘i players played on a U12 team joined with Big Island skater,s and Masterson played on a team in the over-35 category.
Although Masterson said all the Kaua‘i players enjoyed the tournament, which was held at the Kapolei Inline Hockey Rink, he said nobody had a better time than the defending champions.
“O‘ahu is not happy. They keep trying to knock us off and they can’t do it,” he said. “I’m so proud of this team. It was absolutely awesome.”
