By MATT GERHART
By MATT GERHART
Tribune-Herald sports writer
KEAAU — Waiakea played without Lauren Hill on Friday in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation water polo semifinals.
Still, Rachelle Krahner and Kara Paulachak credited their injured captain with big assists after their goals helped put the Warriors over the top in a back-and-forth thriller with Hawaii Prep.
Krahner’s goal with three seconds left in regulation sent the match into overtime and Paulachak scored with 23 second remaining in the extra session as Waiakea held off Hawaii Prep 8-7 at Naeole Pool to gain a spot at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association tournament.
Hill suffered a eye injury last Saturday against the Ka Makani and was ruled out of BIIFs, but Paulachak said her team used her absence as a rally cry.
“We all look to Lauren,” Paulachak said. “All of us were like, ‘We have to win for Lauren, otherwise she won’t get to play another game. But if we get to states, she gets to play with us.”
Waiakea coach Haley Rosehill said that Hill would see an eye specialist Monday and was hopeful she’d be cleared to play at states, which start Wednesday in Honolulu.
First, Waiakea (9-2) plays two-time defending champion Kamehameha (11-0) at 2 p.m. today in the championship game. Kamehameha, which had already earned a state berth by virtue of earning the top seed, overwhelmed Hilo 23-6 in the other semifinal.
Paulachak’s OT goal, which came with two seconds left on the shot clock and was likely the Warriors’ last chance to score before heading into sudden death, gave the Warriors their first lead since the second quarter in a seesaw match that was tied seven times. Neither team had more than a one-goal lead.
“They really dug seep in the fourth quarter and pulled through,” Rosehill said. “Not having Lauren was hard, but heart was what it came down to.”
Anu Nihipali netted four goals for HPA (5-6) and the Ka Makani looked on the cusp of its first state berth since 2010 when Kailana Powers gave her team a 7-6 lead with under a minute left.
Krahner, however, muscled through the defense to compete a hat trick to keep the season alive for Waiakea — and perhaps Hill.
“I just worked to get the ball and shot it,” Krahner said. “We wanted to do it for Lauren. That really helped our team to find our heart.”
Looking to avenge two narrow losses to Waiakea in the past 10 days, Hawaii Prep’s pressure defense stymied Waiakea through the first three quarters of the match.
Just after halftime, the Ka Makani’s Jellian Cuartero scored what was ultimately the only goal of the third to put HPA ahead 5-4.
The match opened up a bit in the final quarter.
Waiakea’s Katie Torigoe netted an equalizer midway through, and after Nihipali gave HPA the lead again, Courtney Shinde scored from beyond the 5-meter mark with 97 seconds remaining to set up the dramatic final minute.
HPA’s Bhillie Luciani amd Waiakea’s Coco Flores-Oishi also scored in the match.
Paulachak had two goals for the senior-laden Warriors, who are making preparations for their second consecutive state appearance.
“I know that our team really wants to go to states because our team is a really old team, a lot of seniors,” Paulachak said. “For all of us who are in our last year, we really wanted to go.”
Kamehameha 23, Hilo 6: Kiana Krzyska scored five goals and Sydney Plunkett added four before both sat out the second half as the Warriors moved closer to their third straight undefeated BIIF season.
Hali’a Nahalea also scored four goals for the Warriors, while Cassidy Fratinardo, Acacia Trusdell, Chloe Martins-Keliihoomalu and Michelle Fratinardo each added two. Pua Wong and Alexia Osburn added one apiece.
For the Vikings (5-6), Kayla Ongais and Nicole Grandi each scored twice, and Ginger Carlson and Jane Ancheta had a goal apiece.
Glance
At Kamehameha
Semifinals
Waiakea 8, HPA 7, OT
Kamehameha 23, Hilo 6
Today’s final
Waiakea vs. Kamehameha, 2 p.m.