Posted on: Sunday, February 13, 2005
Warriors rout Iolani in soccer state final
By Leila Wai
Advertiser Staff Writer
PUKALANI, MAUI — All day long yesterday, members of the Kamehameha boys soccer team stayed loose by shooting each other with mini water guns.
It paid off last night, as the Warriors won their first state soccer championship, beating Iolani, 3-0, in the HHSAA/Meadow Gold Dairies Boys Soccer State Championship at Kana'iaupuni Stadium at Kamehameha-Maui.
"All day we were just relaxing, staying focused," said senior forward Dustin Engle, who scored his third goal in four games. "I can't describe how I feel right now."
Junior forward Logan Sauer scored two goals as Kamehameha finally beat Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Iolani. Earlier this season, the Warriors tied the Raiders and lost to them.
"We went to Fun Factory, we went shopping, we came home and watched a movie," Sauer said. "We were trying not to think about the game. But when the time came, we were focused."
Kamehameha coach Andrew Ah New said he was surprised at the big margin of victory.
"I was thinking before the game, shootout all the way," he said. "We had heard it was sloppy, and all kinds of unusual goals were being scored."
Engle scored first on a header in the 34th minute on a run to the near post. It came off a corner kick from the left side by freshman midfielder Zane Dydasco.
"We noticed they were keeping the front post open," Engle said. "So we sent it to the front post and I was open."
Sauer scored in the 49th minute after the Iolani goalkeeper tried to drop-kick his punt. But he miskicked it and the ball hit the back of Engle's leg and bounced to Sauer, who was waiting just behind the 18-yard box.
"I turned around and it was right there," Sauer said. "I wasn't expecting that one. I was just lucky."
Sauer's second goal was all skill. In the 71st minute he received a square pass from the right side of the field, beat two defenders with a sweet move to his left foot, and shot the ball into the lower left side of the goal.
"The guy didn't even follow me after that, he went in the total opposite direction," Sauer said.
Stormy conditions gave the Raiders problems, and the water pooled on the field after several hours of rain, making their possession play difficult to execute.
Iolani junior midfielder Lee Anderson had the team's best chance and only real shot on goal early in the first half, on a putback off a corner kick, but goalkeeper Ryan Pohl dived on the ball.
"The ground was wet, and the passes were stopping," Iolani coach Chris Lee said. "But you can't blame the field. Kamehameha played on the same field as we did."
THIRD PLACE
Waimea 5, Kealakehe 0: Walea Arquette and Jeff Kakuda each scored two goals, and Chad Thompson scored his fourth goal of the tournament for the Menehune, who were the first Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation team to ever reach the state semifinals.
Arquette got his first goal in the ninth minute, and his second in the 74th on a pass from Joshua Cabral.
Kakuda scored in the 30th minute and the 67th minute; his second goal on an assist from Thompson.
Thompson scored in the 34th minute.
FIFTH PLACE Honoka'a 2, Mililani 0: Mamerto Asuncion and Jake Fassett scored goals for the Dragons of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation.
CONSOLATION
Kaiser 1, Leilehua 1: Kaiser's Matthew Bush and Leilehua's Pablo Zorilla scored as the teams tied for the consolation championship, which ended after 80 minutes of regulation play.
CORRECTION
Micah Miyaki scored a goal and converted a penalty kick for Iolani against Kealakehe Friday night. His last name was misspelled in yesterday's Advertiser.
Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2457.
