Kamehameha goalkeeper Maile Kahele didn’t touch the soccer ball Saturday against Punahou, but she might have had the biggest impact on the game.
Kahele, who entered the game late, was in goal for four missed penalty kicks as Kamehameha beat Punahou 1-0 (3-1 PKs) in the final of the NIU Health Urgent Care/HHSAA Division I Girls Soccer Championships at Radford.
“I am extremely proud of them. Their never-give-up mentality and their will and their want-to the entire season,” said Kamehameha coach Missy Moore. “Tonight could have gone either way, but they just kept fighting and fighting.”
Kahele, a sophomore, entered the game with 30 seconds remaining in the second overtime when Warriors starting keeper Marley Roe was issued a red card after knocking down Punahou’s Ellie Gusman in the box.
“It’s a tough call to make that late in the game,” Moore said. “It’s the ref’s discretion to make those calls. The ref is part of the game. We have that next-man-up mentality.”
Kahele said: “I was really nervous, but for the most part, I was hoping I could do my best and do it for the team.”
The Buffanblu’s Mia Hashimoto took the PK and it deflected off the crossbar.
The teams played 80 minutes of regulation and two golden-goal 10-minute overtimes.
Madison Sharrer, Nikki Mau and Leila Kahoano made penalty kicks for the Warriors in the shootout.
Punahou’s Candace Ching made her team’s first kick, but Carly Cormack and Emily Daehler missed off the right post and
Nicole Beauchemin missed wide right.
“My intention was to block, but I’m was hoping to intimidate them,” said Kahele who added that she tried to look confident and stared down the Buffanblu shooters.
Kamehameha (11-1-0) has won the past three state titles and 11 overall. Punahou (10-2-1) also has won 11 state titles.
Anuhea Aluli, Kahoano, Charis Marie Ramos and Sienna Inouye were a part of the past three Warriors’ title teams. The soccer season wasn’t played last year because of COVID-19.
“We’ve been working on this all year, to get back to this point, especially the seniors, those who have been here all four years,” Aluli said.
Kamehameha, the ILH champion and No. 1 seed, had five shots on goal in the first half, while Punahou had three.
Punahou played better in the second half, getting four shots on goal to Kamehameha’s two.
Punahou, the ILH runner-up, had a great chance to score in the 63rd when Gusman took a throw-in from Paige Morihara, dribbled down the left side and fired a shot that was saved by Roe, who dove to her right.
The Buffanblu had another opportunity in the 67th when a Punahou player uncorked a shot that was saved by Roe, who dove to her left to make the catch.
Kamehameha had a chance in the 98th minute when Aluli took the ball and dribbled down the left side and fired a shot that was blocked.
Kamehameha and Punahou split their games during the ILH regular season.