Bulls charge past Alaska
• Standings, scores and schedules (graphic)
By Baxter Cepeda
Advertiser Staff Writer
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| Kekoa Osorio of Hawai'i's Real Copa 89B under-14 team, center, splits the Alaska defense for a pass to a teammate that led to a goal.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser |
For 84 of the 212 teams in the Snickers U.S. Youth Soccer Association Far West Regionals that did not make it past pool play, the beach will have to be a consolation prize.
Nabarro, the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Player of the Year this past season, scored two goals yesterday as the Bulls cruised into the quarterfinals with a 10-0 win over Alaska Club Avanti at Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Park.
"My halfbacks give me perfect balls that make it so easy to score," said Nabarro, who the led the state with 33 goals last season.
The Bulls Under-19 girls are one of 19 Hawai'i Youth Soccer Association teams that began the week with hopes of becoming the first from the state to win a Region IV title.
Region champions in divisions 14-and-older advance to the U.S.Y.S. National Championships, July 23-27.
Other teams from Hawai'i advancing to the quarterfinals are:
- Boys U12 — HSC Bulls '91 Kaula
- Boys U13 — WSC Volcanoes '90
- Boys U16 — MSC Strikers '87
- Boys U18 — HSC Bulls '85 Kaula
- Girls U12 — Ho'okalakupua GFA
- Girls U13 — Leahi '90 (Wild Card)
- Girls U14 — Leahi '89
- Girls U16 — Leahi '87
- Girls U17 — HSC Bulls '86 Kaula
Nabarro scored the first goal against Alaska in the 14th minute on a 15-yard shot into the lower-right side of the goal.
"We started out a little slow," said Bulls central midfielder Maile Tavephojalem. "We got better as we stopped dribbling so much and started playing together with one or two touches before passing."
The Bulls' onslaught continued with nine more goals as they handed Avanti its third consecutive loss.
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| Kekoa Osorio of Hawai'i's Real Copa 89B under-14 team, center, splits the Alaska defense for a pass to a teammate that led to a goal.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser |
"We're going to enjoy Hawai'i while we're here but soccer comes first," Avanti goalkeeper Katie Staser said. "If we got there we were going to enjoy playing more soccer."
Like many players in the tournament, this is Staser's first visit to Hawai'i and the first time she's competed against teams from Hawai'i.
"I was really, really impressed," Staser said of the Bulls. "They did great."
Staser said she was pleased with her team's performance considering it had a difficult time getting enough players to fill a squad.
Nabarro commended Avanti's heart.
"It takes a lot of courage to be down by five goals and still hustle," she said. "I give them a lot of props for coming all the way down here and not giving up."
As Staser and her teammates change their focus to leisure, the Bulls continue their charge.
"We have to focus on being strong on the ball," said Tavephojalem, adding that they started to do so toward the end of the game.
Playing at home is a double-edged sword for the Bulls, who enjoy the obvious advantages but must also play through distractions, according to coach Phil Neddo.
"When we go away, we don't have as hard a time focusing them because they sit around the hotel," Neddo said.
Neddo needn't worry about his team's motivation.
"For some of us it is the last time we'll play together," Tavephojalem said. "We can still win this tournament."
