Lions roar late, pick up isle’s only win

BY JOE FERRARO

WEST HAWAII TODAY

jferraro@westhawaiitoday.com

With his team trailing Leilehua 3-1 with less than 10 minutes remaining Wednesday at Oahu’s Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex, Makua Lani coach John Edwards admitted thinking his team’s chances of pulling out a victory were slim.

“It’s not looking too good,” Edwards said. “Down two goals with six minutes left. “At that point, we’re praying we have an opportunity.”

Makua Lani’s prayers were answered.

Sophomore Karissa Komo and freshman Keili Dorn scored in the 74th and 80th minutes, respectively, and after two scoreless overtime periods, the Lions prevailed in penalty kicks, stunning the Mules 4-3 in the first round of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II girls soccer state tournament.

“This is probably the most exciting game any of our girls has ever played,” junior forward Tiffany Nakamura said.

Makua Lani (8-7) will face a familiar foe at 3 p.m. today in the state quarterfinals: three-time defending Big Island Interscholastic Federation champion Hawaii Prep (13-1), which has handed the Lions quarterfinal losses in each of the past two seasons.

Makua Lani advanced thanks in large part to Komo, who also made two diving saves in the penalty kicks session. Gabriela Cifuentes, Amanda Madigan and Komo all converted PKs, staking the Lions to a 3-2 advantage and giving Makua Lani’s fifth shooter, Malia Kaiwi, an opportunity to win the match.

The senior came through, depositing the ball into the left side of the net and setting off a frenzied celebration.

“Half the girls were shaking,” Edwards said. “They couldn’t calm themselves.”

For Kaiwi, the victory was miraculous, saying “this is not possible if we didn’t have Jesus.”

“On (a scale of) one to 10, it was a 12,” Kaiwi said.

Dorn set up Kaiwi’s heroics with approximately 45 seconds remaining, when Nakamura sent a pass down the right side of the field to Mercedes DeCarli, who found senior Grace Choe near the top of the 18-yard box. Choe then sent a short pass to Dorn, who found the net from about 16 yards out for her fifth goal of the season.

Komo scored five minutes earlier, heading in a Nakamura corner kick for her sixth goal.

Edwards said going from a 4-4-2 alignment to a 4-3-3 — it gave the Lions an extra striker — helped fuel the comeback.

“The girls never quit, we adjusted our lineup with 10 minutes left, and it paid off,” Edwards said.

Sophomore Karley Shigeoka had given Oahu Interscholastic Association No. 3 seed Leilehua (4-9-1) what seemed to be a commanding 3-1 lead with goals in the 42nd and 69th minutes.

DeCarli put the Lions ahead in the third minute, taking a pass from Madigan and drilling a shot from 18 yards out for her second goal of the season.

Then Mules senior Tamara Morioka converted a penalty kick in the 38th minute as the teams entered intermission tied at 1.

What transpired thereafter provided a physical test for the Lions, who had never played in an overtime match in the state tournament.

“For us to play 100 minutes, that’s the most exciting game I’ve seen Makua Lani play,” Edwards said. “At that point they’re playing on pure emotion.”

Now the Makua Lani coach hopes his players can recover quickly.

“Hopefully, we can come to (the quarterfinals) with a full tank of gas,” Edwards said.

c Radford 1, Kamehameha-Hawaii 0 (OT): Rams midfielder Abigail Granger’s goal in the 84th minute lifted the Rams (4-9-1), the No. 4 seed from the OIA, into today’s 3 p.m. state quarterfinal against Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion and top seed Mid-Pacific (5-6-1).

The BIIF runner-up Warriors (8-5-2) will face Maui Interscholastic League champion Seabury Hall (3-7-4) in a 1 p.m. consolation bracket semifinal, with the winner playing at 3 p.m. Saturday in the tournament’s seventh-place match.

c Kalaheo 4, Honokaa 3: After Dragons sophomore Allie Shiraki’s 12th goal gave her team a 2-1 lead in the 46th minute, OIA runner-up Kalaheo (6-5-2) responded with three unanswered goals to take control.

Junior Kiana Forsythe scored the first two goals, putting the Mustangs ahead in the 60th minute before freshman Hayli Gibson gave Kalaheo a 4-2 advantage in the 70th minute.

Kalaheo will face Kauai Interscholastic Federation champion Kauai (7-0-1) at 3 p.m. in the state quarterfinals.

Honokaa (8-7) capped the scoring in the 80th minute when junior Monica Carlos scored her 12th goal.

Junior Kelly Greenwell tallied her seventh goal in the 24th minute for the Dragons, who will take on Leilehua at 1 p.m. today for a chance to play in Saturday’s 3 p.m. seventh-place game.

Division I

c Pearl City 2, Konawaena 1 (2 OT): Parishaan Carter-Amorin’s goal in the 94th minute lifted OIA No. 5 seed Pearl City (10-1-4) into a 5 p.m. state quarterfinal match with OIA champion Moanalua (10-0-3).

Junior midfielder Sara Ng tied the match in the 67th minute after senior Jasmine Ward gave BIIF runner-up Konawaena (10-4-1) the lead in the 47th minute with her 10th goal.

The Wildcats will face OIA No. 6 seed Aiea (6-9) in a 1 p.m. consolation bracket semifinal, with the winner playing in Saturday’s 3 p.m. seventh-place match.

Boys soccer

cKealakehe 3, Makua Lani 0: Junior Connor Keale, senior Deja-Dean Ruiz-Spinney and sophomore Keoni Yates all scored second-half goals for the host Waveriders (10-1-1).

Ruiz-Spinney set up Keale’s third goal of the season on a free kick Makua Lani’s goalkeeper mishandled. Keale gathered the rebound and gave Kealakehe the lead.

Ruiz-Spinney then scored on a free kick from 35 yards out in the 63rd minute, and sophomore Keoni Yates scored his team-high 12th goal, firing in a shot from 30 yards out a minute later.

Senior Kawela Benson blanked the Lions (6-5-1) in goal.

c Christian Liberty 2, Waiakea 2: Sophomore Nakaya Kerr tied the match with the second of his two goals — and his 11th of the season — in the 62nd minute for the host Canefire (6-3-3).

Seniors Cameron Boucher and Nuu Aiava scored their 19th and 13th goals, respectively, for the Warriors (8-3-1).

Stephens Media’s Matt Gerhart contributed to this report.