The Kalani boys soccer team is picking up right where it left off last season.

The defending state champs got five shots in the first 25 minutes and converted three of them to beat Kapolei 3-2 at Mililani.

The win puts the Falcons in today’s OIA Red championship at Mililani, where they will play East runner-up Kaiser.

And the Cougars better beware of the Falcons. Because Kapolei didn’t take the state champs seriously until it was too late.

"I am really not trying to be humble," Kalani coach Michael Ching said. "They were really much better than us on a lot of levels."

Kalani, which had its share of magic moments in seven wins over the last two state tournaments, came up with a few more on Thursday. Kapolei dribbled around the Falcons through the first five minutes, looking like the Harlem Globetrotters playing keepaway with the Washington Generals. But the Hurricanes didn’t earn a shot and let the ball slip into their end, where Toshihiro Kosins blasted a ball from 35 yards out that left Kapolei keeper Makana Breault in a heap.

"It’s one of those things, if you don’t shoot it you don’t make it," Ching said. "They were killing us and he doesn’t usually shoot it from outside, but he felt confident and ripped it. It was a good time to do it."

That goal was all Kalani needed to remember the feeling of last year, and the Falcons played Kapolei even the rest of the way. Madison Casey scored Kalani’s second goal nine minutes later on a scrum off a set play, and Marc Teshima added another one nine minutes after that. Teshima’s tally came off a penalty kick after Breault went high and hit Kalani sophomore Ryan Abe in the box.

"After (the first) goal I think they backed off and we started to pick up our tempo," Kosins said. "I think this is one of the best games we have played so far — the intensity is good."

Both teams are already in the state tournament, where Kapolei’s intensity will certainly be good. The Hurricanes have played in every OIA championship except two in the past nine years and will suffer the indignity of playing Mililani in the third-place game at Leilehua tonight.

Keo Ponce, a captain who came off the bench because of a sprained ankle, scored Kapolei’s first goal on a nifty header in the 39th minute, and Shandon Hopeau added another in the 79th as the Falcons packed it in and tried to survive.

"I think maybe we got a little too comfortable," Kapolei coach Ryan Lau said. "We didn’t limit one chance they had. We knew that in the field of play we had the edge. We just had a five-minute breakdown and then we are playing catch-up."

Kaiser 3, Mililani 2, PKs

Kaiser keeper Mike Austin stopped two of the four penalty kicks he saw and the Cougars beat the Trojans to reach tonight’s OIA championship against Kalani.

Chandler Furukawa sealed it for the Cougars by nailing the team’s fourth penalty kick.

"Our keeper, he is awesome," Kaiser coach Marco Antonio Gloria said. "Only second year, a baseball player converted into a soccer player. Mike Austin. Don’t forget that name."

Chris Galang scored in the 28th minute for Mililani and Jeron Cunningham added another in the 38th to give the defending champs a 2-0 halftime lead. That had Gloria more than a little optimistic.

"They got a little confident and we had a great halftime talk," Gloria said. "It is a classic, 2-nil lead at halftime is the most dangerous position you can be in."

Marion Ham got Kaiser on the board in the 43rd minute and Mario Manrique tied it a minute later.

Five yellow cards were handed out in the contest, three of them during a wild 79th minute when the center referee handed out cautions to Galang and Alex Wong and Christian Longnecker of Kaiser.