Kapaa and Kauai High School’s varsity girls soccer teams both lost in the semifinals of The Queen’s Medical Center Girls Soccer Championships – Division II state tournament.
“Our girls, they gave it all they got. They played with their heart today,” Kapaa head coach Mytra McKeague said in a phone interview. “You can’t teach that. I’m proud of those girls.”
With Friday’s results, Kauai High and Kapaa will play each other in the third place match of the state tournament. The match is scheduled for 3 p.m. today at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex on Oahu.
“Two teams in the top four is excellent from Kauai. That’s showing a lot from Kauai,” McKeague said. “That shows we play good soccer up there. I think tomorrow going into the game, I’m just going to tell the girls to have fun. The last game of the season. Go out there and have fun.”
Kapaa, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, lost to Kamehameha Schools–Hawaii of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation, 2-1 (3-0 PKs), in penalty kicks on Friday.
“We completely missed them. It was unfortunate,” McKeague said of the PKs. “We practice those every day.”
KS–Hawaii sophomore forward Hiilei Wong Yuen scored the match’s opening goal at the 19th minute. Kapaa junior midfielder Natalie Devin equalized at the 52nd minute. Neither team scored in extra periods.
“It was back and forth. I think at that point, both teams were getting really exhausted,” McKeague said about the game’s overtime periods. “It was really hot. I think they were both just trying to get through it. Our girls, they played tough.”
Kauai High fell to Hawaii Preparatory Academy, also of the Big Island, 1-nil, on Friday. HPA freshman midfielder Emi Higgin’s scored the game’s lone goal.
“We ran up against a really tough team — defending state champions and No. 1 seed. It just didn’t go our way,” Kauai High head coach Joe Cassler said in a phone interview. “They played their hardest. There’s not a whole lot I can say about the game itself. Each stage was played really well today. We were at our best and they were at their best.”
“We had a couple of opportunities. We played a strong defense. They just got a goal in the last seven minutes of the game. That secured them the win. Hats off to them,” he continued.
Cassler, too, said having two teams in the top four of the tournament is a reflection of how strong KIF soccer is.
“That’s a huge statement about the development programs that are put in at the lower age (level) and the high school programs that are taking these teams to states,” he said. “I respect Kapaa a lot. Mytra’s a great coach and they have a great team over there. And same with us. I think the statement in itself that we’re playing these top level teams from Big Island, Oahu and Maui, it says a lot about Kauai.”
Hawaii Prep, the tournament’s No. 1 seed, and KS–Hawaii will play in the Division II championship game 5 p.m. today at the Waipio soccer complex main stadium.
