KAILUA-KONA — Hawaii Prep soccer has started the new year off on a high note.
The Ka Makani boys and girls teams traveled to the mainland over the winter break to compete in the Arizona Soccer Showcase, where the HPA girls won the Girls Open Premier Silver Elite Division. HPA competed against top high school teams from California, Texas, Arizona and Hawaii to take home their division’s title.
Ka Makani girls defeated Arizona’s Liberty High School 2-0 in the championship game.
“The girls played four good games against opponents we don’t see here; maybe a little bigger, a little more physical,” HPA girls soccer head coach Steve Perry said. “I was happy with how we played against that caliber and that size. It was good for us.”
Perry said HPA competed in the tournament four years ago, and the experience is something that both teams use to create stronger team chemistry.
“It was just experience, and the bonding,” Perry said. “They become closer as a group on and off the field, which helps when we’re on the field, I think. We had some good experiences where we got down in a couple games and then we came back. We went against a team that had speed, we had a game against a team that had size and physicality, and just being able to adjust your game to whatever came up was good.”
HPA boys finished the showcase 1-1-1. They lost 3-0 to Arizona’s Verrado High School before ending their second game in a tie to Arizona’s Arcadia High School at 1-1 on Saturday. They finished the showcase with a 4-1 win over Liberty.
“We had a group of about 50 with coaches and it was great. It was cold, and we froze our butts off, but it was really good,” Perry said. “We had a ball; we went to a hockey game all 50 of us, which was fun and it was a good bonding time together.”
The extra competition paid off for the HPA girls, who defeated the Kealakehe Waveriders 3-1 Saturday night at Waverider Stadium.
Angela Cipriano scored two goals, one in each half, and Emily Thompson scored one for HPA. Jenna Perry and Alianna West finished the game with one assist each.
HPA (6-0) started the second half up 1-0, and the ball rolled into an empty net for Kealakehe to open up the scoring in the second half and tie the game at 1-1.
Cipriano and Thompson quickly answered with a goal each.
“I told them after the game I was really happy how we came back after they tied it up,” Perry said. “We scored two goals really quick. I just thought we needed to work a little bit better off the ball in the second half.”
The victory extends HPA’s winning streak to six.
Ka Makani girls host Kau at home today, and Kealakehe will travel to Hilo to take on the Vikings this afternoon.
The Kealakehe boys soccer team defeated HPA 1-0 also on Saturday afternoon at Waverider Stadium.
