HANAPEPE — Although the top two teams in the Under 14 and Under 12 divisions advance to the Will Veeck soccer tournament, play was intense throughout the playoffs and finals of the American Youth Soccer Organization Region 940. Bianca Colagreco
HANAPEPE — Although the top two teams in the Under 14 and Under 12 divisions advance to the Will Veeck soccer tournament, play was intense throughout the playoffs and finals of the American Youth Soccer Organization Region 940.
Bianca Colagreco broke a 1-1 deadlock in the 52nd minute of the Girls Under 14 match to give Koloa a 2-1 edge for the title of the GU14 for AYSO, Region 940.
“If Lihu‘e Lightning wins, we play on Saturday morning,” said William Trugillo, commissioner for AYSO Region 940.
The playoff did not materialize as Koloa relied on the depth of its force as well as good field play to hold the edge over the Lightning.
Kaitlynne Bukoski found the net in the 11th minute, getting an open lane from about 20 yards out in the middle, the ball sailing past the outstretched arms of the Lightning goalkeeper.
From the onset, Lihu‘e’s mission was to move the ball past the Koloa defense, relying on the skill of midfielder Lyndsie Kashima and Sonoi Kawakami on the wing.
But Allison Summerhays, her petite build belying her ability to win balls, stymied the effort, getting help from Halee Sammer and Mackenzie Hubbard past the midfield stripe.
Lindsey Nakea-Tresler used her smaller build to advantage, slipping through traffic and capitalizing on a rightside skirmish for ball control off an Alexandra Temme corner kick. The goalkeeper came across the field for what fans called “a banana shot” before running back to assume her position, Nakea-Tresler, getting the goal in the 24th minute for the 1-1 deadlock. That score stood until Colagreco’s shot from 15 yards out and originating off a pass from Jadyn Mercer-Cayabyab for the 2-1 final.
Lihu‘e, realizing the predicament, worked frantically in the final stanza only to run into the Koloa defensive wall, which extended to Cambria Ort anchoring the back-midfield.
Earlier in the week, Kayler Alapai found the net in the final two minutes of play to force a Friday playoff against Hanapepe in a 1-0 edge Monday in the Girls Under 12 division.
Tuesday, the Boys Under 12 took the field, Hanapepe handily taking the title on a 4-1 edge over Koloa.
These teams advance to the Will Veeck Inter-regional playoffs and finals, which start Monday with two games at the North Vidinha fields in Lihu‘e.
The Koloa team meets East-Palmer in a 4 p.m. kickoff while on the second field, the East-Oliver, an Under 12 Boys team, matches up against Koloa-Middlebrook.
Tuesday’s schedule will find the East-Handy meeting the Region 940 No. 2 team starting at 4 p.m. in a Girls Under 12 match. Hanapepe-Duldulao, a Boys Under 14 team, will face North-Lee in another field, also starting at 4 p.m.
The tournament continues Wednesday when the North-Davin, a Girls Under 14 team, faces the Lihu‘e Lightning starting at 4 p.m. while on a second field, Hanapepe-Trugillo, a Boys Under 12 squad, faces North-Harrison.
Thursday games will have the Region 940 Girls Under 12 title holder take on North-Longley starting at 4 p.m. while on a second field the East-Perreira, a Boys Under 14 squad, takes on East-Kimura.
Final playoffs and tournament title matches take place Friday and Saturday, the Friday games starting at 4 p.m. and Saturday games starting at 8 a.m. for the Under 14 Boys and 9:45 a.m. for the Under 14 Girls.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
