WAIPAHU — The Kapa‘a High School Warriors’ soccer team is one step closer to capturing back-to-back championships with a 3-1 victory over Makua Lani in the quarterfinals of the Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Queen’s Medical Center Boys Division II Soccer Championships.
With the win, the top-seeded Warriors advance to play Seabury Hall at 3 p.m. today at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex’s main stadium.
Kapa‘a’s first-round opponent wasn’t easy.
“(Our team) did well, and then they actually moved the ball well against us most of the second half and kept us on our heels defensively,” Warriors’ coach Kevin Cram said Thursday. “They were able to take a number of shots, and our goalie made a lot of stops.”
Kapa‘a took a 2-1 lead into halftime before they gained the necessary separation that allowed them to advance to the semifinals.
Warriors’ player Makaio Gonsalves scored the first goal in the first nine minutes of the game.
In the 22nd minute of the game, Kapa‘a’s Kellen O’Rourke scored the second goal of the game.
La‘akea Gonsalves chipped a shot over the keeper into the net to conclude the scoring in the second half.
Despite a two-goal victory, Cram said the game wasn’t easy. “It was a well-played game, and I knew we had a tough draw in the first match, and it was just getting past that first game,” Cram said.
Moving forward in the tournament, Cram expressed his confidence moving into the next round.
“Winning that first match took some pressure off of us,” Cram said. “Now that we won the first match, that puts us that much closer.”
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Jason Blasco, sports reporter, can be reached at 245-0437 or jblasco@thegardenisland.com.
