As he watched his team play pickup ball with slippers, a broken tennis ball and a box, coach Skee Saplan breathed easier with the knowledge that Hilo High’s girls soccer team hasn’t lost it fire.
As he watched his team play pickup ball with slippers, a broken tennis ball and a box, coach Skee Saplan breathed easier with the knowledge that Hilo High’s girls soccer team hasn’t lost it fire.
On Kauai last weekend for preseason matches, the Vikings were passing time when they broke into an impromptu baseball game, despite lacking any of the essentials.
Still, it was game on.
“You’d think they were playing for the World Series, ” Saplan said. “They’re so competitive, and with anything they do, but they’re also compassionate toward each other. But so competitive. If you sharpen a pencil, it’s who is going to do it first and fastest.”
Last season, freshman-laden Hilo beat every team to the point, taking BIIF Division I by storm and going undefeated for its first league title since 2011. The only team to beat the Vikings all season was eventual HHSAA tournament champion Pearl City of the OIA. Even then, Hilo rebounded and won a consolation match, a rarity for a BIIF team in Division I.
Those fabulous freshmen have transformed into super sophomores, but this season Hilo’s jerseys will have bull’s-eye on the back.
“Coach wants us to to work extra hard this year because of what happened last year,” senior Caitlin Phelan said.
Everyone, Konawaena and Waiakea most specifically, will be gunning for the Vikings.
“(Coach) has challenged us to become better,” senior Grace Watanabe said.
Saplan said his team was lucky to win BIIFs last season, but the Vikings outscored their competition 51-15, so skill undoubtedly played a big part in Hilo’s quick success.
There are at least four prolific scoring options up top with sophomores Jordyn Pacheco (team-leading 16 goals last season), Miya Clark (eight), Haley Miyasato (five) and junior Alyeemomi Amaral (four).
Saplan wants to raise the bar this season by involving more goal-scorers.
“Everyone knows (those four) can a score, so we want to change it up,” he said. “We’re focused on getting everybody involved.”
The goalkeeper is a one-of-kind and a potential Division I recruit in athletic sophomore Saydee Bacdad, who posted five shutouts last season and is among the team’s hardest workers.
For all of its talented 10th-graders, Hilo also has seven seniors. However, it’s Bacdad who takes charge of the back line.
“She’s always communicating with us because she has good field vision,” senior fullback Kaitlyn Galima said. “She knows where everybody is and where everybody should be.”
The hardest player to replace will be midfielder Jasmine Smeraglia, who scored four goals during her senior season. Up steps two seniors, Evyn-Bree Helekahi-Kaiwi and Lauree Anne De Mattos, to try and fill Smeraglia’s dual roles.
“I hope I can contribute on the field,” De Mattos said, “but I want to work on getting us to be more of a team off the field.
“I feel like there was a division because we had a lot of different personalities. I feel like we’re more of a community and a team.”
It was probably only natural last season that the freshmen takeover led to resentment from some of the team’s more experienced players.
Senior Ashley Mendes said the team is only stronger because of what it went through.
“It’s crazy now to look back and see how much we’ve grown toward each other,” Mendes said.
The group at midfield includes sophomore Hollie Saplan and junior Lacey Shiigi, and Amaral and Miyasato are both playmakers, registering five and four assists, respectively, last season.
The headliners at fullback are – of course – sophomores in Kalamanamana Harman, Glory Medeiros and Karla Ishii, as well Galima and freshman Paige Hiraki.
After finishing 2-0-1 on Kauai, Hilo will play twice at its own preseason tournament, the Big Island Candies Hilo Bay Classic, which runs Friday-Sunday.
The tournament is dedicated to the late Dave Brown, a longtime American Youth Soccer Organization supporter.
Brown, who passed away Nov. 6 at the age of 74, started Hilo’s AYSO region 35 years ago.
“He was a dedicated man who started the program in Hilo where people could first learn to love the spirit of the game of soccer,” Saplan said.
Friday
At Hilo Bayfront
Boys, Hilo vs. Waiakea, 4 p.m.
Girls, Honokaa vs. Waimea, 4 p.m.
At Amauulu Field
Kauai vs. Kamehameha, 4 p.m.
Saturday
At Hilo Bayfront
Boys, Waiakea vs. Kona, 9 a.m.
Boys, Hawaii Prep vs. Honokaa, 9 a.m.
Girls, Kauai vs. Hawaii Prep, 11 a.m.
Girls, Hilo vs. Kamehameha, 1 p.m.
Boys, Hilo vs. Honokaa, 3 p.m.
Boys, Hawaii Prep vs. Waiakea, 3 p.m.
At Amauulu Field
Girls, Waimea vs. Kamehameha, 9 a.m.
Boys, Kealakehe vs. Kamehameha, 11 a.m.
Boys, Kamehameha vs. Konawaena, 3 p.m.
Sunday
At Hilo Bayfront
Boys, Honokaa vs. Kealakehe, 9 a.m.
Girls, Waimea vs. Keaau 9 a.m.
Boys, Keaau vs. Konawaena, 11 a.m.
Girls, Waimea vs. Hilo, 11 a.m.
Boys JV, Kealakehe vs. Hilo, 1 p.m.
Boys, Hilo vs. Kealakehe, 3 p.m.
At Amauulu Field
Girls, Kauai vs. Kealakehe, 9 a.m.
Girls, Honokaa vs. Kealakehe, 3 p.m.