LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Red Raiders took advantage of a penalty kick early in the second half to grab a 1-0 victory over the Kapa‘a Warriors in the opening match of the 2009-10 KIF boys soccer season. Chaturon Promsakham controlled
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Red Raiders took advantage of a penalty kick early in the second half to grab a 1-0 victory over the Kapa‘a Warriors in the opening match of the 2009-10 KIF boys soccer season.
Chaturon Promsakham controlled the ball and was taken down inside the 18-yard box, forcing the referee to blow the whistle and award Kaua‘i a penalty kick. Lucas Gushikuma took the kick and put it into the net’s left corner, passed the diving Hayden Hislop in game’s 48th minute.
That turned out to be the lone goal of the match, which displayed very different action within each half.
The first half was controlled by Kapa‘a, as they managed to dominate possession and keep the action in the Kaua‘i defensive half. The Warriors showed a comfort level within their offense and put together a number of set pieces that gave them a few scoring opportunities.
One such instance featured Matt Domingcil making a nice feed, crossing the ball from the right side and into the box, where Kaisen Carrillo had a shot on goal that did not find the net.
Towards the end of the half, Brycen Phillips made a strong one-on-one move to free himself for a shot, which he ripped from the right side of the box. The shot got past the outstretched arms of Kaua‘i goalie Dylan Snyder, but ended up going just wide of the far post.
Early on in the second half, with the score still tied 0-0, a throw-in deep in Kaua‘i territory gave Kapa‘a another chance when the strong throw was headed on net by Carrillo, but Snyder made a diving stop to preserve the scoreless match.
Following the Gushikuma goal, a family of chickens almost got in the way of a Kapa‘a breakaway, presenting themselves like an extra defender for Kaua‘i on its home field at Vidinha Stadium.
The chickens decided to stay and enjoy some of the action for about 10 minutes before flying the coop and leaving the players to fend for themselves.
From that point, Kaua‘i turned the tables and became the more poised team, controlling much of the action and switching the field, while keeping Kapa‘a on the defensive.
The Raiders looked to add to their marginal lead when Mason Vegas made a nice one-touch pass to Chaturon Promsakham, who uncorked a long-range shot that was saved by Hislop.
Kapa‘a’s Lowen Gonzales made a run-out and received a good ball, but the side referee raised the flag, signaling offsides. That missed opportunity forced head coach Kevin Cram to throw down his crutches in disgust. A Warrior player retrieved them and helped his coach regain his balance.
The Warriors almost had the equalizer off a deep throw-in, with Kanoa Nartatez putting a short shot into Hislop’s chest. The rebound rolled to Phillips, whose shot in traffic sailed above the net.
Late in the half, Kaua‘i avoided Kapa‘a’s final charge after Max Goode was fouled just outside the box. The resulting free kick was headed on by Maximillian Drubba, but Snyder made another diving save to finish off the shutout.
In the other KIF boys action Wednesday, Waimea notched a 2-0 win over Island at Island School. The goals were scored by Torrey Santiago and Joshua Quinlan, both in the first half. The game had its ugly moments as a fight marred each team’s season opener.
The Menehune (1-0) will play their second match against Kaua‘i (1-0), with a 1:30 p.m. start Saturday at Vidinha Stadium.
In the lone varsity girls match of the night, Kapa‘a edged Kaua‘i 1-0 in the second match of the doubleheader at Vidinha Stadium.
