Waimea High School’s varsity boys soccer team lost to Kamehameha Schools–Hawaii of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation in the opening round of The Queen’s Medical Center Boys Soccer Championships – Division II state tournament. The Menehune boys fell, 2-1, Thursday
Waimea High School’s varsity boys soccer team lost to Kamehameha Schools–Hawaii of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation in the opening round of The Queen’s Medical Center Boys Soccer Championships – Division II state tournament.
The Menehune boys fell, 2-1, Thursday at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex on Oahu.
“It was a bummer,” Waimea head coach Kapono Chong-Hanssen said in a phone interview. “We probably had 70 percent of possession that game. Gave them a lot of chances, and we didn’t score.
“There was one on miscommunication,” he continued. “We passed it back, and the guy went through it and scored. And then the other one was kind of similar. He didn’t call for the ball and let the ball bounce. Then he came through and the guy just scored. Gave them the opportunity. We gave them chances that thoughout the (Kauai Interscholastic Federation) season, I don’t think we gave up any easy chances like that.”
Warriors sophomore midfielder Tyler Waltjen scored the opening goal for KS–Hawaii at the 25th minute.
Menehune sophomore midfielder Kody Gardner equalized at the 31st minute.
“It felt pretty good. I had all the adrenaline going though my head,” Gardner said of his goal.
Gardner added: “It was a pretty good game. Just we got unlucky. We had opportunities, but we just couldn’t finish. … Hopefully, we’ll win tomorrow so we don’t come in last.”
KS–Hawaii senior midfielder Liam Kenoi then scored the go-ahead goal at the 37th minute.
“I think we got stuck between two different styles of play. Like what we were trying to do in KIF — try to eke out wins. And then what we were capable of doing with all of our guys, we kind of got stuck in the middle,” Chong-Hanssen said. “Didn’t create enough goals, and let some goals in that I think we wouldn’t have let in if we were playing like we were earlier in the season.”
Waimea will play Roosevelt of the Oahu Interscholastic Association at 3 p.m. today in a consolation game at Waipio.
“Friday, we just got to win more 50-50 balls,” Gardner said.
