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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, March 14, 2009

Shim scores honor; Gabrio top defender

By Leila Wai

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser
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Kamehameha senior midfielder Meleana "Mana" Shim did her part in ensuring the Warriors would repeat as Interscholastic League of Ho-nolulu girls soccer champion, scoring a league-high 11 goals this season.

On the opposite end of the field, Punahou senior defender Jayann Gabrio helped hold opponents to a league-low three goals in 12 games.

Shim and Gabrio were named the ILH Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, in a vote by league coaches.

Shim returned to Kamehameha after taking a year off to live in Arizona.

"When you hear offensive player of the year, people automatically assume you lead the team in scoring, but she led the team in assists as well," Kamehameha coach Michele Nagamine said. "A good player is going to stand out in a crowd, but a great player is not only going to put the ball in the back of the net, but make everyone around you look and play better."

Nagamine said Shim is "extremely creative, but she doesn't necessarily want all the glory for herself."

Gabrio is the repeat ILH Defensive Player of the Year.

"Coming in as a senior, she set the bar very high for herself," Nagamine said. "At the beginning of the year, you didn't need to be a psychic or a fortune teller to see who was going to be the biggest defensive threats. If (the ILH) had a preseason player of the year, it would have been her."

Nagamine said Gabrio "absolutely" lived up to expectations.

"With her having that ability to win balls in the air and score with her head, she became an offensive threat as well," Nagamine said.

The Buffanblu placed a league-high six on first team. Along with Gabrio, midfielders Lahaina Zoller, Lauren Wong and Aisha Price, forward Allyson Holtz and goalkeeper Alana Munger were selected.

Zoller scored four goals this season playing both midfield and forward, and Wong added two goals. Price, best known for her throw-ins that easily reached the far, back post, patrolled the midfield for the Buffanblu. Holtz led the team with eight goals, and Munger allowed only three goals.

Along with Shim, the ILH champion Warriors placed three others on the first team: forward Courtney-Rae Botelho, midfielder Amber Fuller and defender Tara Gabriel.

The speedy Botelho scored three goals, and Fuller was second on the team with seven. Defender Gabriel and the Warriors allowed five goals in 12 games.

Pac-Five, which was declared the ILH Division II winner, placed two defenders on the first team: Brandi Hutchins and Christine Tamamoto.

Hutchins and Tamamoto, who also played in the midfield and scored three goals, helped the Wolfpack to a tie against Punahou, in what would eventually play a role in the final ILH standings.

'Iolani forward Krystal Pascua rounds out the first team after finishing second in the league in scoring with 10 goals.

Gabrio was selected to the first team for the third straight year. It was the second straight year for Botelho, Fuller, Pascua, Tamamoto and Gabriel.

Kamehameha's Nagamine was named the ILH Coach of the Year for the fourth straight year, after the Warriors captured their fourth straight league crown.

Selected by coaches of respective leagues.

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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