LIHU‘E — Four Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation girls soccer players, two from Kaua‘i and two from Kapa‘a, were named to the Division II all-tournament team following the Outrigger Hotels and Resort Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Division II girls soccer state
LIHU‘E — Four Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation girls soccer players, two from Kaua‘i and two from Kapa‘a, were named to the Division II all-tournament team following the Outrigger Hotels and Resort Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Division II girls soccer state championships Saturday on O‘ahu.
The announcement by the HHSAA saw Kapa‘a defender Mia Cabulisan fill in one of three defender positions, Cabulisan being joined by Taylor Foster of the KIF champion Kapa‘a girls team.
Cascade Mayer, scoring two goals to lead Kaua‘i to the third place of Division II, filled one of the midfielder positions with Alyssa “Malu” Vegas, scoring a goal in Kaua‘i’s third place win over Kapa‘a, filling in one of the three forward positions.
Taylor Higa and Julie Khil, both of Mid Pacific who vanquished the Kaua‘i team to the battle for third place, shared Co-Most Outstanding Player honors.
Both Higa and Khil, getting an assist from Jenna Richards, scored for Mid Pacific in its 2-0 win over Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy for the Division II title Saturday.
Earlier in the day, Kaua‘i’s Mayer notched two second-half goals, one in the 52nd minute and the other at the 69th minute, to lead Kaua‘i’s 4-0 win over Kapa‘a, second seeded in the state tournament, for third place in the Division II state girls soccer championship.
Vegas opened the books on the third place game in the 22nd minute with Kaylee Tamura getting a goal in the 31st minute for the 2-0 lead at the half.
Both Kaua‘i, unseeded and entering following the win over Sacred Hearts in a play-in game, and Kapa‘a lost their semifinal matches, Friday to end up in the battle for third place.
Manny Henriques, covering the tournament on O‘ahu, said this is the sixth time the two KIF teams have met with each team having 2 wins, 2 losses and 2 ties — about as even as one can get.
Bri Vallente scored two goals for No. 3 seed Hawai‘i Prep who edged out the No. 2 Kapa‘a, 3-2 in the semifinals, Kekai “Kiki” Gonsalves and Cassie Wilson getting the Warrior scores.
On another field, Friday, Mid Pacific, top seeded in Division II, came up with two second-half goals to get past Kaua‘i, 2-1, Kaua‘i getting a goal from Vegas in the 65th minute to tie the game, 1-1 after Higa scored in the 60th minute to break the 0-0 halftime deadlock in the semifinals.
A.J. Johnson capped the win on a Mid Pacific goal in the 74th minute.
