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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, February 5, 2006

Warrior girls beat Buffanblu

By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer

On the eve of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship, Kamehameha girls soccer coach Michele Nagamine put her team through extra time ripping free kicks.

The practice time — plus a lucky bounce — paid off in overtime yesterday as Kamehameha beat Punahou, 1-0, in a playoff for the league title at Saint Louis.

Kamehameha improved to 11-2; Punahou dropped to 10-3.

Sophomore Sanoe Souza converted a free kick from the right edge of the penalty box 4:47 into overtime as the Warriors claimed the ILH's lone berth in the state tournament.

Souza's shot deflected off a Punahou defender, who was guarding the near post, and squeezed just into the goal.

"We were at the field till about 7 o'clock last night, just striking balls and working on direct kicks and things like that," Nagamine said.

"What we were trying to do was work on lower driven balls. All season long, we've been sending long balls in the air and bending balls."

Souza's free kick was set up when Warriors senior Alyssa Chun was fouled just outside the 18-yard penalty box.

Souza then stepped up and connected for the game-winner. "It's like the greatest feeling because it was a really important goal," Souza said.

Punahou's best chance to score came in the opening minute when a throw-in by the Buffanblu's Aisha Price nearly was deflected in. Kamehameha goalie Deysha Victorine blocked the first ball and Rosalie Inouye's shot was deflected out by a defender.

Punahou coach Jorge Barbosa thought his team scored on the play.

"The ball was in," he said. "It crossed the line twice and the linesman never got there until later and then he didn't call it. If the ball is a goal, we win."

Victorine said: "No, we got it out. ... I got one hit and my girls hit it out when I was on the ground."

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.