Kapaa High senior midfielder Natalie Devin was recognized as the league’s standout player for the second year in a row.
The Kauai Interscholastic Federation Soccer All-Star rosters were released Wednesday with Devin taking home the year’s top honor of girls Player of the Year.
“It’s pretty surreal. I don’t remember the last time I’ve heard of someone winning it back-to-back,” Devin said. “I wasn’t able to play at states most of the time because I got hurt. I only played like 10 minutes in the last game, and that was in the whole tournament. It’s pretty crazy ending, but (winning POY is) a pretty good ending to the season.”
Kapaa High School varsity girls soccer head coach Mytra McKeague said Devin stood out because of how she’s excelled in the center midfielder position.
“She’s super comfortable. She’s really comfortable in that position,” McKeague said. “That’s kind of like the quarterback of soccer. So to me, the center mid position is very important. It has a lot of pressure. You’re going to determine a lot of how the game goes. Natalie embraced that and took it upon herself to step up to that pressure.”
KIF girls soccer champion Kapaa has six all stars this year. Kauai High School and Island School each have three.
“They’re just an amazing bunch of girls,” McKeague said. “It’s not only their ability and how they played, but just their personality and their attitudes towards the sports, it’s amazing.”
On the boys field, Waimea senior forward Isaiah Duldulao was named the boys Player of the Year.
“I didn’t know I was going to get it,” Duldulao said. “I was just trying to play and help my team win, and get to states. Too bad we didn’t win states though. … It means a lot. I’ve been playing soccer since I was young. I don’t know. It’s indescribable.”
Waimea varsity boys soccer head coach Kapono Chong-Hanssen said Duldulao’s efforts, both academically and athletically, make him a worthy recipient.
“His progression as a player reflected our progression as a team,” Chong-Hanssen. Our success reflected on his success. Not to say that it was all from him, but that is part of why I think he’s a good representation as the most valuable player — because what he really did over the course of the season mirrored what we as a team did.”
Duldulao is Waimea’s second boys POY winner in consecutive years. Menehune senior forward Carl Mecham won last year’s award.
“The first thing that it shows is that youth soccer on the West Side of Kauai getting better,” Chong- -Hanssen said. “These guys had the talent when they were freshman. They had developed it from their youth soccer coaches, and a lot of them are their parents.”
Waimea, this year’s KIF boys title holder, has four boys all stars this year. Island School also has four, and both Kapaa and Kauai High each have two.
KIF Soccer All Stars
Girls
Forward: Brianna Binder, Kapaa, junior
Forward: Kehela Ventura, Kauai, sophomore
Forward: Ali Temme, Island School, senior
Midfielder: Natalie Devin, Kapaa, senior
Midfielder: Nora Foss, Island School, senior
Midfielder: Vanessa Hernandez, Kapaa, senior
Defender: Kaylee Overmyer, Kapaa, junior
Defender: Kela Wood, Kapaa, junior
Defender: Ciena Caires, Kauai, sophomore
Defender: Lola Temme, Island School, junior
Goalkeeper: Nygeria Williams, Kapaa, senior
Utility: Kyla Bandsma, Kauai, junior
Player of the Year: Natalie Devin, Kapaa, senior
Coach of the Year: Mytra McKeague, Kapaa
Boys
Forward: Carl Mecham, Waimea, senior
Forward: Isaiah Duldulao, Waimea, senior
Forward: Brandon Beydoun, Island School, junior
Midfielder: Dodger Middlebrook, Kauai, sophomore
Midfielder: Maka Bailey, Kauai, senior
Midfielder: Conor Hunt, Island School, freshman
Defender: Chris Ishikawa, Waimea, senior
Defender: Cody Taniguchi, Waimea, senior
Defender: Clifton Oliver, Kapaa, senior
Defender: Kyle Leibow, Island School, junior
Goalkeeper: Andres Elzaurdia, Island School, senior
Utility: Tiernan Kehoe, Kapaa, senior
Player of the Year: Isaiah Duldulao, Waimea, senior
Coach of the Year: Kapono Chong-Hanssen, Waimea
