Stephens Media Hawaii Prep’s boys soccer team found itself shuffling the deck for the past two weeks, getting a player back only to see another one go down. ADVERTISING The Ka Makani entered Wednesday’s home contest against Makua Lani close
Stephens Media
Hawaii Prep’s boys soccer team found itself shuffling the deck for the past two weeks, getting a player back only to see another one go down.
The Ka Makani entered Wednesday’s home contest against Makua Lani close to full strength, and it showed.
Junior forward Martynas Golubovskis scored two of his three goals in the second half, helping HPA pull away for a 5-0 victory in a Big Island Interscholastic Federation boys soccer match.
The Ka Makani (5-3) started the season 3-0 but then dropped consecutive matches to Hilo, Waiakea and Christian Liberty.
HPA competed against the Warriors with just 13 players — eight did not play because of injuries or personal reasons — then lost freshman Isaiah Kamaka to a back injury during the match, leaving Ka Makani with just one substitute.
Ka Makani coach Keawe Liu credited HPA’s opponents for playing good matches during Ka Makani’s losing streak, saying he didn’t want “to make excuses” for his team’s losses.
But Liu said his team did not possess the ball well during that stretch because a handful of players found themselves jumping from position to position.
“We’re trying to survive, and that’s not where we want to be,” Liu said. “We play good possession ball when we’re in a position where they’re not second-guessing themselves.”
Ka Makani found itself in that position offensively against the Lions (6-3-1).
Golubovskis staked HPA to a 1-0 halftime lead before also scoring in the 42nd and 61st minutes, giving him 14 goals for the season.
Then senior Mac Yagi scored his second goal in the 68th minute, and sophomore Jared Pries tallied his first in the 78th.
Defensively, Liu moved senior Kawika Wise from stopper to sweeper and senior Trevor Edwards from center mid to stopper because the team’s starting sweeper, Jevin Ching, was on the mainland playing in a club volleyball tournament.
Both Edwards and Wise faced the task of slowing down prolific Lions forward Elijah Lingenfelder, who lead the BIIF with 19 goals.
“(Edwards’) job was to shut down a very talented player in Elijah, and he did a good job,” Liu said. He stepped up big-time back there, and Kawika had a really solid game. He did a great job stopping any threat before it got out of hand.”
Senior John Pezzuto shut out Makua Lani in goal.
Kealakehe 5, Parker 1: Sophomore Keoni Yates scored his ninth and 10th goals of the season, and senior Cory Fisher added his eighth and ninth goals in Waimea for the Waveriders.
Senior Tyler Yates added his second goal for Kealakehe (7-0-1), while sophomore Alex Guske tallied his sixth goal for the Bulls (3-7).
Konawaena 9, Kohala 0: The visiting Wildcats improved to 6-4-2, while the Cowboys dropped to 2-9.
No further information was available at press time.
Girls
Konawaena 10, Kohala 0: Senior Raine Kolman scored three goals, while senior Jasmine Ward and freshman Kaulana Ruedy added two apiece for visiting Konawaena, which clinched the No. 2 seed in the four-team BIIF Division I tournament.
The BIIF semifinals take place on Jan. 25, and the Wildcats (8-2-1) will host either Waiakea (6-2-3) or Hilo (6-3-2).
Senior Roxana Valdovinos, junior Ua Ruedy and freshman Shayli Nakamoto added a goal apiece for Konawaena in Kapaau.
Senior Britney Paahana blanked the Cowgirls (1-11) in goal.
Kealakehe 9, Parker 0: Senior McKenna Davidson collected three goals and three assists, and senior Rachael Bianchi added a goal and two assists as the visiting Waveriders improved to 11-0.
Freshman Kealia Wolfe added two goals, while junior Kari Van Mols, sophomore Ana Tuppein and freshman Lexie Cuaresma each scored once for Kealakehe.
Sophomore Sulley Schuster and freshman Logan Harris combined to shut out the Bulls (1-9-1).
Hawaii Prep 6, Makua Lani 2: Sophomore Nanea Tavares scored three goals, giving her 15 for the season, and senior Katie Case collected her 10th and 11th goals for host HPA, which scored three unanswered goals after the Lions took a 1-0 lead.
Junior Emily Evans added her sixth goal for Ka Makani.
Senior Grace Choe put Makua Lani (5-6) ahead with her second goal, and junior Lauren Mabuni collected her sixth goal.
