LIHUE — Kauai High School’s varsity girls soccer team defeated Waimea, 4-nil, Wednesday afternoon at Vidinha Stadium. “It took us a while to get into our flow. Our main goal is right now is to get game-ready — game-speed —
LIHUE — Kauai High School’s varsity girls soccer team defeated Waimea, 4-nil, Wednesday afternoon at Vidinha Stadium.
“It took us a while to get into our flow. Our main goal is right now is to get game-ready — game-speed — for states,” said Red Raiders head coach Joe Cassler. “We’re trying to translate out onto the field. We picked it up in the second half. So, that was all good. That was what we wanted to see.”
Kauai (6-2-3 KIF, 21 points) scored two goals in each half.
Senior forward Lyndsie Kashima netted the opening goal inside the penalty area at the 10th minute. Junior forward Judy Ann Edurise got the second goal at the 33rd minute.
Before Edurise struck from inside the 18-yard box, junior midfielder Britney Ehia took a touch off a cross from senior defender Caley Caires.
“Well, our coach tell us we needed to pass, like 1-2 touches, and communicate a lot better, and let each other know if we’re open or not,” Edurise said. “Play as a team and not as individuals.”
Freshman forward Kehela Ventura got the match’s third goal at the 63rd minute. Senior midfielder Macy Tamura scored at the 73rd minute to round out the Red Raiders’ win.
“Getting ready for the Oahu teams, we just got to play faster, play quicker, and get on goals faster and sooner,” Cassler said. “All those things, we were focusing on at practice. Our last game at Island School, we can work on that as well.”
In the opening minutes of the second half, Edurise had a chance at a second goal. She took a shot inside the penalty area, but Waimea senior defender Kanoe Ano came in with a sliding tackle to prevent the play.
Ano also subbed in at goalkeeper for starter, senior Charissa Waalani, with about 10 minutes left in the match.
“I don’t know. I don’t even know how to do that,” Ano said about the slide tackle. “I did one time in a game, and then I just started doing it to everybody.”
It was also Waimea’s senior day. Following the match, the school recognized its 15 seniors: Ano, Waalani, defender Abie Coma, defender Ashley Hookano, forward Rachel Semblante, midfielder Julia Hirano, midfielder Alyssa Fernando, midfielder Hope Coyaso, forward Kailani Yamamoto, midfielder Kira Nobriga, defender Athena Abadilla, midfielder Shyla Taniguchi-Simbre, midfielder Brandy Domingo, midfielder Kacie Hesapene, and defender Kamryn Kenney.
“A bunch of great girls,” Waimea head coach William Trugillo said about his seniors. “We’ve a lot of them for four years. Some of them just came up this year. (They are) a bunch of fun girls. They’ve showed a lot of maturity.”
Ano added: “Happy because it’s finally done, but sad because I’m not going to be able to be back here next year. We’re so close. … We’re like family. It’s just a good vibe.”
Kauai High will play at Island School (4-6-1 KIF, 13 points) at 10 a.m. Saturday. Waimea (0-10-1 KIF, 1 point) will play Kapaa (9-1-1 KIF, 28 points) at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Vidinha Stadium.
