Kapaa and Kauai high schools’ varsity girls soccer teams are set to compete in the 2018 The Queen’s Medical Center Girls Soccer Championships – Division II tournament which begins today at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex on Oahu.
Kapaa (10-1-1 KIF) won its fourth-consecutive Kauai Interscholastic Federation varsity girls soccer title this season.
The only blemishes the Warriors had was a 2-1 loss to Kauai in the last match of the season after they had already clinched the league title, and a 4-4 draw to Kauai early in January.
The Warriors have three of the top four goal scorers in Division II in April Barnes (23 goals), Brianna Binder (22 goals) and Kyla Bandsma (17 goals).
The Warriors are seeded No. 2 and await the winner of the opening round match between Radford of the Oahu Interscholastic Association and Makua Lani of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation.
Kapaa will play the Radford-Makua Lani winner in the quarterfinals at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Last year, Kapaa made its way to the Division II championship game but lost to Hawaii Preparatory Academy of the BIIF, 1-nil, to settle for second place. HPA had won its fourth straight Division II girls soccer championship.
Kauai High (9-2-1 KIF) was KIF runner-up to earn a berth at the state tournament.
Kauai’s Kehela Ventura is also among the Division II leaders in scoring with 18 goals this year. Last season, Ventura was the Division II scoring leader with 24.
The Red Raiders play today in the opening round against Seabury Hall of the Maui Interscholastic League. That match is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Kauai lost to Seabury Hall in the opening round in last season’s tournament, 3-2. The Red Raiders then won their next two matches and defeated Kalaheo of the Oahu Interscholastic Association in the consolation final, 2-1, to place seventh.
Neither Kapaa head coach Mytra McKeague or Kauai head coach Auika Metcalfe could be reached for comment Tuesday.
Information from Hawaii High School Athletic Association and ScoringLive.
