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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, February 7, 2009

Buffanblu, Warriors will play for DI crown

Photo gallery: Kamehameha vs. Kekaulike soccer
Photo gallery: Mililani vs. Punahou soccer

By Leila Wai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Punahou's Sarah Nonaka (24), Sarah Hayashi (20) and Mari Carmichael (4) lead the charge after the Buffanblu held off Mililani in one Division I semifinal contest.

Photos by REBECCA BREYER | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Kamehameha's Gabriella Yates (10) is denied by King Kekaulike goalkeeper Melanie Dickson in the first half of their semifinal.

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Punahou went the distance — and then some — to set up a meeting with a familiar foe.

The Buffanblu outlasted Mililani, 4-3, in the penalty-kicks portion of the game to win 3-2 and advance to the title match of the JN Automotive Group/HHSAA Division I Girls State Soccer Championships last night at Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

Top-seeded Punahou (12-0-3) and three-time defending champion Kamehameha (12-0-2) play tonight in the all-Interscholastic League of Honolulu title game at 7. Kamehameha beat King Kekaulike, 2-0, in the other semifinal.

It is the second straight year the ILH teams will play for the championship.

Punahou's Mari Carmichael, Allyson Holtz, Karli Look and Aisha Price made their kicks and goalkeeper Alana Munger made one save. Price's kick came in the sudden-death period after it remained tied, 3-3, through the first five shooters. Punahou shot first, and after Price's shot was good, Mililani's sixth shooter missed.

"Do you have a defibrillator?" Punahou coach Matt Martinson asked after the game. "People always say no one likes to see it come down to this, but it's a competition.

"Mililani fought until the end, and by no means did they fail. They showed us the game of the year. I'm proud to be a part of it."

Mililani's (15-1-1) Sasha Moscatello, Chelsey Goo and Kristen Nakagawa made their kicks and goalkeeper Rosie Nakata made one save.

Punahou and Mililani played 80 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods and the score remained tied, 2-2.

The Buffanblu scored first in the 14th minute on a goal by Sydney Meheula after a corner kick by Holtz traveled all the way through the 18-yard box to junior midfielder Jaclyn Khil, who was waiting at the far right side of the box. Khil's shot was cleared off the goal line to Price, who put it in on a high shot that bounced off the upper netting.

The Trojans tied it on a blazing run down the left sideline by senior midfielder Breeanna Locquiao and cross to Moscatello, who headed the ball into the goal in the 27th minute.

Price set up the Buffanblu's second goal on a throw-in, when one of her usual 35-yard tosses bounced out of the Mililani goalkeeper's hands and into the goal in the 34th minute.

"(Price's throw-ins) came in huge, as always," Martinson said. "It's a matter of the ball is in the box, let's get it."

Mililani tied it in the final two minutes on a goal by senior midfielder Kaitlynn Holt. Holt scored after a pass into the 18-yard box bounced in a crowd of players before she stuck her foot out and the ball bounced into the right side of the goal.

"They have players who will strike and they are very aggressive," Martinson said.

Punahou and Kamehameha tied in both their regular-season games. An extra tie for the Buffanblu — against Pac-Five, which plays in the Division II championship game tonight — is the difference between the teams.

KAMEHAMEHA 2, KING KEKAULIKE 0

Kamehameha senior midfielder Amber Fuller is used to being covered in mud and grass at the end of a game.

So it came as no surprise that she would score on a body-contorting shot that lifted the Warriors into the championship game.

"She's one of those kids, she totally wears her heart on her sleeve," Kamehameha coach Michele Nagamine said. "You know when she's mad, you know when she's happy, you know when she's frustrated."

Fuller scored on a karate-kick style kick on an assist from freshman forward Carly Neal in the 54th minute.

"I was just trying to get anything on it so it could go on the frame of the goal,"said Fuller, who said she wasn't planning on playing because of a sprained ankle.

Fuller's effort appeared to be a mixture of determination and frustration as the Warriors previously attempted shot after shot but didn't score.

"Uh, very (frustrated), because we couldn't get it in the back of the net," said Fuller, whose shoulder was caked in mud and her uniform was grass-stained — "The usual," Fuller said.

Warriors sophomore defender Kapualani Entendencia scored off a corner kick by Fuller that was knocked around the box — including one shot that hit the crossbar — before Entendencia scored in the 67th minute.

"I told the players at halftime, 'Don't make this bigger than it is,' " Nagamine said. " 'You had a bad half. Let it go. Let's not take ourselves too seriously.' "

King Kekaulike, the second -place team out of the Maui Interscholastic League, fell to 13-3-1.

CONSOLATION

KAPOLEI 2, HILO 0

Kap: Baili Bonn, Taylar Corprew.

KAMEHAMEHA-MAUI 3, KAISER 2

KSM: Makana Pundyke 2, Shelby Bantilan 1. Kais: Tamra Nee, Kianna Akazana.

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.