Kamehameha rules pool for third straight year

By MATT GERHART

Tribune-Herald sports writer

KEAAU — Perhaps the most resistance the Kamehameha water polo players received all season came after Saturday’s championship match when coach Dan Lyons at first refused to let his team throw him into the pool.

Just like Waiakea had earlier, Lyons fought the good fight. As usual, his Warriors weren’t to be denied.

Senior Kiana Krzyska scored seven goals and sophomore goalkeeper Kelly Fitzgerald stopped her seventh shot of the match with seconds remaining as Kamehameha put a bow on its Big Interscholastic Interscholastic Federation dominance with a shutout in a 12-0 victory at Naeole Pool for its third straight undefeated league season.

“That’s the first shutout that we’ve had here. Those are pretty rare,” a soaked Lyons said. “The way we play: pressure, pressure, pressure. It’s going to cause turnovers. The few opportunities that we gave them, I thought Kelly was excellent.”

Junior Sydney Plunkett, who added a hat trick, was surprised to learn just how much of a juggernaut Kamehameha (12-0) was this season in outscoring its BIIF opponents 188-50, not including one victory by forfeit.

“Wow, I’m shocked,” Plunkett said. “That’s amazing. It shows how far we’ve come along as a team.”

Krzyska (league-high 66 goals) and Plunkett (BIIF second-best 53) each outscored the opposition by themselves despite sitting out long stretches of most matches.

Both, however, were more happy for their team’s defensive progress.

“I’m so proud of our goalie, because she’s improved so much,” Krzyska said. “She’s really worked hard to better herself because she’s really hard on herself.”

Waiakea (9-3) trailed only 1-0 after the first quarter and managed to hold Kamehameha to a season low in goals, including only three in the first half as the private-school Warriors missed on their opportunities despite 14 shots. Krzyska said that prompted Plunkett to remind her teammates at halftime that Kamehameha still has hopes for a No. 2 seed when the Hawaii High School Athletic Association championships brackets are announced today.

“That kind of fueled us a little,” Plunkett said. “If we did really good, we might have a shot.”

Kamehameha responded with an eight-goal barrage in the third quarter. After a subpar shooting effort in front of the net in the first half, Plunkett scored off a rebound and a steal. Then Krzyska found plenty of open water to operate as she got out in transition and tallied five goals over a five-minute stretch, two on breakaways.

“That was a reflection of our defense,” Krzyska said. “Everybody did a really solid job of pressure defense and pressuring the ball and not the player. That’s why we were able to create breakaways.

“We were setting each other up and pumping each other up.”

Kamehameha sophomore Chloe Martins-Keliihoomalu opened the scoring, and junior Baba Manoha gave her team an 11-0 lead late in the third quarter.

Coming off a fourth-place finish at states last season, a program best, Kamehameha gets a bye into Thursday’s quarterfinals in Honolulu. Waiakea, which got the win it needed Friday with a dramatic 8-7 overtime victory against Hawaii Prep to earn the league’s second state berth, opens play Wednesday.

“I expect a third seed,” Lyons said. “Would love a No. 2, but probably third.”

Waiakea’s best scoring opportunity came when junior Akemi King hit the crossbar from close range with her team trailing 3-0 late in the second quarter. In the second half, Kamehameha made it hard for its opponent to even set up its offense as Waiakea managed just five shots. Kamehameha held a 31-14 advantage, including 10-2 in the third.

While Kamehameha may make it look easy, Plunkett said that hasn’t always been the case.

“I remember in the preseason, we barely had enough players to make a team. It was overwhelming and I was crying for most of the match,” she said. “Now, we’re a really well-rounded team to the point where I’m just in the background and my coach sometimes forgets that I’m even in the match.”