LIHUE — Kapaa High School’s varsity girls soccer team played to a nil-nil draw with Kauai High on Saturday afternoon at Vidinha Stadium. With the result, Kapaa (8-1-1 KIF, 25 points) have enough points to stay on top of the
LIHUE — Kapaa High School’s varsity girls soccer team played to a nil-nil draw with Kauai High on Saturday afternoon at Vidinha Stadium.
With the result, Kapaa (8-1-1 KIF, 25 points) have enough points to stay on top of the season standings and win its second consecutive Kauai Interscholastic Federation championship.
“That’s great. All the hard work we put in really paid off,” said Warriors junior goalkeeper Nygeria Williams. “It’s nice, but it’s really a team thing.”
In the last minute of play, Kapaa sophomore forward April Barnes had control of the ball at midfield and sophomore forward Brianna Binder was nearby.
Barnes waited for the opportune time to make the pass to give Binder a one-on-one opportunity for the go-ahead score. When Barnes made the pass, Binder was called offside.
“We came out flat again, but it’s OK,” said Kapaa head coach Mytra McKeague. “Hats off to the other team. Kauai High came to play. We knew coming into this game, it was going to be a great game. Unfortunately, both teams couldn’t put it in. It was a defensive game for us, that’s for sure.”
“Very happy about that. We’re actually starting to prepare for going to states,” she said about clinching KIF. “Fortunately, both teams get to go. When we go over there, we’re rooting for Kauai teams. That’s what it’s all about.”
Kauai (5-2-3 KIF, 18 points) had a chance at a go-ahead goal at the 73rd minute. Red Raiders junior midfielder Railee Layosa served a corner kick from the near side of the field. Her ball was met by junior forward Britney Ehia.
Ehia’s shot went above the crossbar and bounced off the football goal post.
“This is the best we’ve played since the beginning of the year,” said Red Raiders head coach Joe Cassler. “That’s a good indicator of us going into the last couple games of the season and hopefully into the state tournament. If we can bring this type of intensity and team play into the state tournament, we can make a good run.”
Kauai High celebrated its senior day. Nine Red Raider seniors were recognized: forward Aleigha Scovel, defender Caley Caires, defender Kawehi Taniguchi, midfielder Zoe Griffith, midfielder Bailey Hanna, midfielder Taylor Pacol, midfielder Macy Tamura, midfielder Michaela Licke, and midfielder Anaiah Christensen.
“(I’ll miss) the team bonding and just being close to the girls,” Scovel said, who is in her third year playing varsity. “We’re really close. Everybody is really close with each other. That’s the most important thing in order to play a team sport.”
“It’s a good group. They’re all leaders in some way on the field and off the field,” Cassler said about his seniors. “I’m really lucky as a coach to have them. I wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for these girls. It was a really great experience to have them on this team.”
Kapaa will play Island School (4-5-1 KIF, 13 points) at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Vidinha Stadium. Kauai High will play Waimea (0-9-1 KIF, 1 point) at 5 p.m. Wednesday, also at Vidinha.
“Just take one game at a time. We cannot overlook any team,” Cassler said about the remaining two games of the regular season. “Every game matters to us. We just got to bring the intensity at practice and bring it on to the soccer field the next two games.”
Varsity boys
Kapaa 5, Kauai 0
– Kapaa goal scorers: Max Nice (3), Manuel Dominguez, Kainalu Gandia
Waimea 0, Island School 0
Varsity girls
Island School 1, Waimea 0
– Island School goal scorer: Sophie Sherrer
Junior varsity boys
Kapaa 3, Kauai 1
– Kapaa goal scorers: Serge Ioanna, Joshua Layaoen, Caden Donner
– Kauai goal scorer: Jonathan Benitez
Junior varsity girls
Kauai 3, Kapaa 2
– Kauai goal scorers: Kehela Ventura (2), Hallee Sommer
– Kapaa goal scorers: Taylen Nunes, Nevaeh Arruda-Kapu
