KAPA‘A — Just when it seemed Kapa‘a would head home with a disappointing tie, Brycen Phillips ripped a shot that put the Warriors back on top and left barely any time for more late Raider heroics. Phillips’ goal in the
KAPA‘A — Just when it seemed Kapa‘a would head home with a disappointing tie, Brycen Phillips ripped a shot that put the Warriors back on top and left barely any time for more late Raider heroics.
Phillips’ goal in the third and final minute of stoppage time gave Kapa‘a a 2-1 win over Kaua‘i in the season opener for the boys soccer season, Wednesday at the New Kapa‘a Town Park field.
After controlling possession and keeping much of the play in its offensive half, Kapa‘a saw Kaua‘i tie the contest at 1-1 on a penalty kick in the 79th minute of the 80-minute match.
Defender and team captain Hunter Hudson was called for a foul on a tackle in the box, which gave Mason Vegas a penalty kick to tie things up. He slammed it into the top right corner of the net, which seemed to signal the even result and deflated the home crowd.
Kapa‘a almost scored in the first minute of extra time, when Brad Heiser dialed up a deep throw-in, which was flicked on net by Kanoa Nartatez’s head and hit the far post.
That opportunity seemed to be its final good chance, but Joshua Cram got the ball in space and swung it to Phillips out on the left side of the box. He gave one touch and then slammed home a left-footed shot into the right side of the net, moving the Warriors to the top of the early-season KIF standings.
Heiser put Kapa‘a on top 1-0 in the 52nd minute, when a corner kick got through the first wave of offensive players and he struck a waist-high ball that snuck right through the goalie’s hand and the near post. Heiser was actually facing his coaches and getting instructions when the corner was struck, turned and saw the ball about to find his foot and slammed it home for the day’s first score.
Most of the best opportunities came from Warrior attackers Heiser, Phillips, Elliott Haigh and Lowen Gonzales.
Kaua‘i’s chances were limited in the first half, though Chaturon Promsakhan did get one header on net that was saved, then put another shot on goal which was initially bobbled but then gathered by the goalie.
In the varsity girls match that followed the boys, the defending KIF champion Kapa‘a Lady Warriors played to a 2-2 tie with the Kaua‘i Red Raider Wahine.
The Lady Warriors, under new head coach Lynn Minei, took a 1-0 lead early in the contest when Laurie Tamyo scored in the 10th minute.
Malia Kagawa, one of Kaua‘i’s three senior captains and its top goal scorer from last season, evened things up when she found the net in the 19th minute.
But Kapa‘a’s Lily Fredericksen, another of the league’s top returning players, put Kapa‘a back up 2-1 with a 25th-minute score.
Just after halftime, Kaua‘i’s Alyssa “Malu” Vegas found the net in the 41st minute to make it a 2-2 score, which stood up for the final.
The result of the varsity boys match between Island School and Waimea was unavailable at press time.
Junior varsity will open its season today when the Kapa‘a JV boys will host Kaua‘i at 4:30 p.m. at the New Kapa‘a Town Park. JV girls will then take the field at 6:30 p.m.
A JV girls exhibition matchup between Waimea and Island School will be played at 4 p.m. at Hanapepe Stadium.
