WAIPAHU, Hawaii — The champs are through to the Motiv8 Foundation/HHSAA boys soccer semifinals.
Mililani survived a dogfight with King Kekaulike on Pookela Tom-Makue’s header goal to a 1-0 win at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex; the Trojans advanced to Friday’s semifinals.
Tom-Makue flicked in a long throw-in in the 65th minute.
[Note: See below for more photos of the HHSAA Division I boys soccer quarterfinals.]
The Trojans, who ran through the Oahu Interscholastic Association season without a defeat, were tested with several chances for Na Alii, the MIL runners-up.
“They’re a tough team,” Mililani first-year coach Alika Cosner told Spectrum News. “You know, took us a while to get that goal for a few chances that we let slip by. But sometimes all you need is one goal.”
In the other quarterfinal games held simultaneously at the fields outlying Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium: ILH champion Iolani scored twice in the second half of a 2-0 win over Castle; Campbell edged MIL champion Baldwin, 6-5 on penalty kicks for a 2-1 win in double overtime; and Kamehameha topped BIIF champion Hilo, 2-0.
Mililani (14-0), which used a dominant defense to win its seventh all-time state title last winter, advanced to face Kamehameha (10-1-1), the ILH runner-up at 7 p.m. at WPSS on Friday. Iolani (10-0-1) and Campbell (12-2-1) meet in the first semifinal at 5 p.m.
The Trojans similarly defeated Na Alii by a goal in the quarterfinal round last year and went on to win the title in a year that they yielded just two goals all season.
The task is to do it again with an entirely new back line. Cosner acknowledged there is a different level of attention and stress in the role of defending champion, too.
“We had to come in, find four new guys that were willing to commit to the style of play that we’re going to commit to as a program,” Cosner said. “I think the four that we have back there are doing extremely good job. I mean, we’re still undefeated in the season, so we don’t get there without those guys keeping those out of the back of our net, right? So, I’m extremely proud of what they’re doing.”
Iolani is in pursuit of its 11th state title, Kamehameha its third and Campbell its first.
The Division II semifinals were also locked in Thursday. KIF champion Kapaa takes on ILH champ Le Jardin at 1 p.m. Friday at WPSS, followed by BIIF champ Kamehameha-Hawaii against MIL champion Seabury Hall at 3 p.m.
King Kekaulike’s Zion Schaffer went up high for a header. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
Mililani’s Kilika Hasegawa slid into the ball. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
Mililani’s Matthew Lamborn and King Kekaulike’s Ty Arakawa jousted for a header. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
Mililani’s Caleb Ishizaka, right, cranked a shot at the King Kekaulike goal. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
King Kekaulike goalkeeper Corey Swatek leaped to snag the ball. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
Mililani’s Caleb Ishizaka, right, and King Kekaulike’s La‘i Green Abafo chased the ball. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
Kamehameha’s Madden Aquino went on the attack against Hilo. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
Players clashed on a corner kick in front of the Hilo goal. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
Hilo forward No‘eau Betts could not chase down a ball in time before the Kamehameha goalkeeper collected it. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
Hilo’s No‘eau Betts, right, battled Kamehameha’s Micah Yamato. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
Campbell goalkeeper Kainoa Salgado leaped to punch the ball away from the top corner of the goal. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
Baldwin’s Jorden Carbonell twisted into a backward kick at the ball. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
Iolani’s Dan Arima (6, leaping) celebrated the penalty kick goal of Devin Lee (8) in the second half against Campbell. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.
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