LIHU‘E — Two stalemates offer an indication of the parity among the high school soccer teams when the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation opened its soccer season Saturday with games at Island School and Vidinha Stadium. “We were supposed to be visiting,
LIHU‘E — Two stalemates offer an indication of the parity among the high school soccer teams when the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation opened its soccer season Saturday with games at Island School and Vidinha Stadium.
“We were supposed to be visiting, but Kapa‘a High School doesn’t have a field, so we’re doing the hosting,” said Island School Athletic Director Kaipo Kealalio.
Island School, fielding two teams, a varsity boys squad and a Junior Varsity girls team for exhibition, finished splitting the opening series. The varsity boys battled to a 0-0 stalemate and the JV girls dropped 0-2 to the visiting JV Warrior girls.
Over at Vidinha Stadium, Kaua‘i High School, hosting the visiting Waimea High School teams, finished with a 3-0-1 record on the day.
Waimea’s Jaron Parongao put a damper on the Red Raiders’ hopes for a sweep, coming up with a late-game goal to knot the contest 1-1 for the second stalemate on the opening day.
Trysen Kaneshige got the goal for Kaua‘i, breaking the 0-0 tie in a game which spectators described as very physical and tough.
At the Island School complex, both the Voyagers and Warrior men demonstrated strong defense as both goalkeepers were limited to less than five saves apiece, the defenders doing the job of keeping the ball away from the goal.
Kapa‘a took control, but Island School asserted its defensive presence, pressuring Kapa‘a’s shots throughout the game to force the wide shots.
Key to the Kapa‘a offense was Joshua Cram in the midfield, passing off to forwards which included alternating turns by Trevor McCracken, Daniel Alonzo, Sonny Check and Edsel Lactaotao.
But the Voyager defense, headed by Marcus Punua limited the Kapa‘a touches, the heavy defensive pressure forcing shots.
Tory Alao and Coli MacMillian scored the JV Kapa‘a girls’ goals in its 2-0 exhibition matchup which followed the boys’ game at Island School. According to a field official, both scores came in the first 10 minutes of play.
No scorers were available for both the Kaua‘i JV games, but officials said both games ended in 7-0 outcomes against the Waimea JV.
Kylie Kuhlmann, moving up from midfield defense to midfield forward for the 2012 season, got a key assist at the 15-minute mark, finding Joni Hashizume open in the right pocket.
Hashizume got the shot off which rocketed past the Waimea goalkeeper for the sole score in the 1-0 win.
Kapa‘a High School girls, enjoying the bye by washing cars at the All Saints craft fair following its second overall finish in an off-island soccer tournament, will see action for the first time this coming Saturday when it meets Kaua‘i’s varsity girls at Vidinha Stadium.
Kuhlmann, who got the key assist last Saturday, said Kaua‘i High School was in the same tournament as Kapa‘a, dropping its opening game to Hilo in a shootout, but continuing to top the consolation bracket in the tournament.
Saturday games at Vidinha Stadium start at 10 a.m. with the JV boys followed by the JV girls at 11:45 a.m. The varsity boys are on the field at 1:30 p.m. followed by the varsity girls at 3:30 p.m.
Waimea will be at the Island School complex with the varsity boys kicking off at 10 a.m. followed by the JV girls in an exhibition match starting at noon.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
