LIHUE — The Kapaa High School junior varsity teams capitalized on Waimea’s short rosters to take both ends of the Kauai Interscholastic Federation junior varsity soccer games Thursday at Vidinha Stadium.
Kapaa’s JV girls built on a 9-0 halftime lead to finish, 14-0, over the JV Menehune wahine. The JV Warrior men catapulted to a 10-1 win from a 2-1 halftime lead.
Goalkeepers were instrumental in Waimea’s performance as Menehune coach Kalei Gardner switched his players to the goalmouth to give them relief from the running game because the team fielded short with no substitutions on the bench.
Waimea’s first half was fueled by the early goal from Wyatt Hartsell, and the JV Menehune played hard against the Warriors who held a 2-1 bulge at the break.
But the heavy play took its toll on the field as the tiring Menehune. Kapaa’s Makaio Gonsalves and Christopher Harvey each scored twice. Isaiah Blas, Kellen O’Rourke, Apollo Stathakis, Kaiana Oliver and Dreyden Iwamoto all scored one goal each.
Iwamoto started the game as Kapaa’s goalkeeper before being relieved by Tim Blum. A Waimea own goal was credited to Gonsalves who was closest to the action on the corner kick.
Menehune wahine goalkeeper Kepler Niccore drew praises from her own coaches, the Kapaa players and Kevin Devitt — the Kapaa JV boys coach — in her performance in the goal box after being swapped into the position.
“She does it naturally,” Devitt said while watching the second half progress. “I just got back from the mainland from a coaching clinic where we did a lot of field work led by other coaches. There was talk of a new technique in goalkeeping, and that Waimea keeper does it naturally — coming out of the box, making big (plays) and just working hard. If she was trained in the traditional way, she would’ve had a lot more scores allowed.”
Following play, during the cool-down, Kapaa players praised Niccore for her play in the goal box.
“I was just hoping the coaches would let me play,” the shy Menehune goalkeeper said. “I wanted to play goal, and the coaches gave me the chance.”
Sharya Refamonte, Kamrynn Inouye, Ashley Contrades and Chelsea Schnekler led the Kapaa JV charge with two goals apiece. Taylor hang, Shaelyn Tavares, Jesseka Palumbo, Phoenix Longley and Naomi Toguchi each found the net once in the win that came with Waimea girls also fielding short.
With the wins, Kapaa next faces Kauai High School on Saturday at Vidinha Stadium when the JV girls kick off at 10 a.m. followed by the boys taking the field from 11:45 a.m. The varsity girls, clinching the KIF title with its win over Waimea on Wednesday night, play at 1:30 p.m. followed by the boys starting at 3:30 p.m.
The Waimea boys JV enjoy a bye until Wednesday when they host the Kauai JV boys at Hanapepe Stadium starting at 5 p.m. followed by the varsity boys at 6:45 p.m.
