WAIPIO — After an early lead, the Waimea High School’s varsity boys soccer team lost in overtime in the opening round of The Queen’s Medical Center Boys Soccer Championships — Division II state tournament. The No. 3 seed Menehune fell
WAIPIO — After an early lead, the Waimea High School’s varsity boys soccer team lost in overtime in the opening round of The Queen’s Medical Center Boys Soccer Championships — Division II state tournament.
The No. 3 seed Menehune fell to Kamehameha Schools-Hawaii of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation, 2-1, Thursday at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex on Oahu.
“We started off really well actually,” Waimea varsity boys soccer head coach Kapono Chong-Hanssen said in a phone interview Thursday. “We went up 1-0 and pretty much dominated the first half. Had a penalty kick opportunity as well, but we didn’t capitalize on our penalty kick. So credit to Kamehameha School. They came back in the second half. They played well. We had some opportunities in the second half, but I think they had more of the run of play in the second half.”
In the overtime period, Warriors sophomore midfielder Jonathan DeMotta scored the game-winning goal at the 84th minute.
“It was back and forth. We had a really good opportunity just before they had theirs,” Chong-Hanssen said. “They brought it down, and their player had a great shot. It was a good, even matchup. Both teams played really well. We just ended up not having enough at the end to get the win.”
Waimea first got on the board at the 23rd minute. Senior midfielder Tayedyn Francisco scored the match’s first goal for the Menehune.
“It was a nice play with his left foot,” Chong-Hanssen said. “It was a long ball over the top. (Senior midfielder Cody Taniguchi) just laid it one touch down to Tayedyn, and he finished it first time.”
KS-Hawaii then got an equalizer at the 57th minute from Warriors junior midfielder David Erskrine.
Chong-Hanssen said though this was the first time this season the team played an overtime period, fatigue wasn’t really an issue.
“The weather, it was sunny but it was nice. It wasn’t too hot. There was a breeze,” he said. “I don’t think so. Maybe a little bit as far as getting run down in the second half. We had some guys that were getting a little knocked and had to come off the field. I don’t think it was physical fatigue. I think we were alright from that standpoint.
“I think we took our foot off the gas a little bit, and sort of let them get a little foothold, and they built on it in the second half,” he continued. “But we regrouped in overtime. Like I said, we really went down there and we were pressing them hard. They just one right back, and they capitalized on it.”
Waimea will play Farrington of the Oahu Interscholastic Association in a consolation match at 3 p.m. today. Farrington lost to No. 2 Saint Louis in the opening round, 5-nil.
“We want to bounce back and at least improve on what we were able to do last year,” Chong-Hanssen said. “Hopefully make Kauai proud, and of course we want to earn that third game — just (play) a few games together, especially with these seniors before they graduate.”
KS-Hawaii moves on the semifinals and will play Saint Louis at 3 p.m. today. In the other semifinal match, No. 1 Hawaii Prep of the BIIF matches up with No. 4 Kailua of the OIA at 1 p.m.
Information from Hawaii High School Athletic Association.
Thursday’s Division II results
Match 1: No. 1 Hawaii Prep 5, Makua Lani 1; Hawaii Prep (Austin Schneider 2, Kento Komatsu, Jake Schneider, Bip Padrnos), Makua Lani (Michael Christensen)
Match 2: No. 4 Kailua 5, Seabury Hall 3; Kailua (Ripley Quebral 2, Dylan Pedrina 2, Nick Faulkner), Seabury Hall (Quintin Tanaka, Louie Smith, Thomas Lee)
Match 3: No. 2 Saint Louis 5, Farrington 0; Saint Louis (Skyler Goo, Jo Kasahara, Noah Alejado, Mitchell Quinn, Rick Sandry Jr.)
Match 4: Kamehameha Schools-Hawaii 2, No. 3 Waimea 1, OT; KS-Hawaii (David Erskine, Jonathan DeMotta), Waimea (Tayedyn Francisco)
