CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM
Roosevelt’s Nolan Pena headed the ball in for a goal against Leilehua.
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Roosevelt junior Sang Hoon Lee wanted to do something special for his team’s graduating seniors, and helping them to their first OIA title since 1979 did the trick.
Lee scored in the 77th minute and Roosevelt beat Leilehua 3-2 for the OIA White championship in Mililani on Friday night.
Junior fullback Ty Oishi got the ball at the flag for the Rough Riders and took advantage of a little bit of overpursuit by the defense to slot a ball to Lee in front of the goal. Lee took care of business from there, beating Leilehua keeper Jeremiah Tuiolemotu for the game-winner. It was Lee’s second goal of the season.
“It was a great moment to finish, but we still have states,” Lee said. “I was really worried when they scored the second goal, but now I am really happy.”
Both teams had already qualified for the state tournament, which begins at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex on Feb. 13.
The Mules had multiple chances to equalize it, including an open netter that went wide and another that was cleared by Roosevelt’s Ryan Chun. The Mules ended the game with a corner kick that was harmlessly cleared by the Roosevelt defense.
“We had our chances, they capitalized on theirs,” Leilehua coach James Cabralda said. “It was a great game nonetheless. Roosevelt earned it.”
Roosevelt spent only one minute, 43 seconds of the first six minutes in Leilehua’s end, but made that brief trip count when Nolan Pena headed the ball in from point blank off a throw from Chun.
The Mules responded when Nathan May appeared to score off a nifty pass from Nicholas Russey, but it was judged offsides and wiped away.
Guhn Park, a junior, made it 2-0 Roosevelt in the 39th minute when he received a pass from Lee, juked Aaron Calabrese and easily flicked a goal past Tuiolemotu. Park took off his jersey after the score, showing the television audience a T-shirt with “For Seniors of Rough Riders” written on it. The center referee didn’t appreciate the message, though, handing Park a yellow card.
“Our seniors are going to graduate this year,” Park said. “I wanted to say goodbye to them.”
The Mules came out firing in the second half, with Demar Stewart getting a run down the middle from midfield and beating Roosevelt keeper Todd Takeno to make the score 2-1 with 38 minutes left in regulation. Stewart, who was the lone forward in Leilehua’s 4-1-4-1 formation, struck again in the 66th minute to tie the score.
“He is such a great player,” Roosevelt coach Francis Pena said. “I had guys marking him the whole game trying to make him tired, but apparently he doesn’t get tired. He was one of those guys we were really afraid of.”
