Jake Schneider called it the length of a 6-inch Subway sandwich. That’s how far he was away from the end line and about 12 yards from the goal when he shot and scored to give Hawaii Prep a 3-2 victory over King Kekaulike on Friday night.
It pushed Ka Makani one step further on their first trip in the high-rent district also known as the Division I bracket of The Queen’s Medical Center/HHSAA Boys Soccer State Championships. Now, there’s only one step left — tonight’s final against Baldwin. Just one year ago, Hawaii Prep was wrapping up its second straight D-II title, where the altitude is not quite as high.
Schneider’s game-winner at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium came on a long cross-field pass from Ilan Naibryf.
“When he (passed) the ball, I was thinking it was kind of sketchy because we had gotten a few of those throughout the game, so I was kind of testing the waters,” Schneider said. “I didn’t sprint, but I was running fast. As soon as I saw it skip against the soft-grass ground, I was like, ‘Yo, let’s go for it.’ I was going to strike it on the one-timer, but it didn’t line up that way. So I took my touch and the keeper came out and it was about to go out of bounds and I took a swipe at it and the jinga helped out.
“Me and my brother have this saying, jinga, how the soccer just flows and it flowed my way that time. Six inches (from the line), a quick 6-inch Subway sandwich I would say. I think it was in, the refs thought it was in and that’s all I can say about it.”
Ka Makani, seeded third, survived the battle of unbeaten teams from the neighbor islands, but needed to come back from a 2-1 deficit. About 15 minutes into the second half, Conor Hunt tied it 2-2 when he punched home a shot in a crowd in front of the goal after a Hawaii Prep direct kick.
Afterward, Na Alii coach Tye Perdido voiced his displeasure about the call on that play.
“Our keeper had clear possession and two of their guys run into him,” he said. “The ball drops and they all think it’s not a goal. They think it’s a foul and they’re running back. And the refs don’t call it.”
In the first half, Na Alii earned a 1-0 lead when Zakariya Woolley headed home a corner kick. Ka Makani then tied it at 1 on Schneider’s penalty kick after he was tripped in the box. King Kekaulike goalie Cody McDonald made the initial save, but Schneider immediately converted the rebound.
Early in the second half, Na Alii took a temporary 2-1 edge when Cade Taniguchi busted through the middle of a pack of Hawaii Prep defenders for a goal.
Despite the loss, Perdido, a former Seattle Sounders player, believes his team had the edge most of the night.
“On their third goal, we broke down defensively and they converted,” he said. “That was really the only one they achieved. We had more opportunities. We created more. I thought we were the better team. In the end, we didn’t finish when we needed to.
“I’m extremely proud of this team. We achieved a lot more than anyone thought we could. And I think the rest of state knows that King Kekaulike could have been state champions this year.”
Hawaii Prep coach Rich Braithwaite knows his team was fortunate to move on.
“So far, we haven’t gotten to play our game at all because it’s so fast and physical,” he said about the team’s two tourney games. “ ‘Iolani (which Ka Makani beat 2-1 on Thursday) is a tremendous team and this team (Na Alii) played lights out. The organized defending and speed of play makes it so hard for us to keep possession. The same will be true tomorrow. We’re going to have to find a way to talk through it tonight and slow the tempo down.”
The Hawaii Prep players won’t be forgetting that jinga goal anytime soon.
“It was a perfect strike, a gorgeous goal,” Braithwaite said. “He had very little angle with no room for any mistake and he buried it. A beautiful, beautiful goal.”
Na Alii may not have completed their mission, but they made big inroads in state soccer circles.
“It means a lot, making it this far,” King Kekaulike defender Dylan Gomes said. “A lot of people doubted us and thought we were a lower team, but we pulled through and I think we changed a lot of people’s perspectives.”
Baldwin 3, Punahou 1
The fourth-seeded MIL champion Bears shocked the top-seeded ILH champion Buffanblu with a supreme defensive effort in the second half.
Daniel Souza sealed it 35 minutes into the second half by making some space for himself in the middle and sending a low shot into the low left corner after taking a cross from the left wing. It gave Baldwin a 3-1 lead, making it extra difficult for a Punahou comeback.
In the final 40 minutes, Baldwin goalkeeper Elliot Tom was peppered from every angle and in seemingly every possible way, but stopped all shots from a furious Punahou attack led in part by Max Moonier and Taiga Chang. Tom got much-needed defensive help from Hayden Hawes, Bryan Cummings, Kobi Kuge and Kai Sears.
The Bears took a 2-0 first-half lead on goals by Hawes and Angelo Deloso-Flocco. Hawes scored on a header off a corner kick and Deloso-Flocco broke down the left wing and weaved to the center through a crowd and his low shot found a hole.
Christopher Espinoza scored the lone Buffanblu goal with an 18-yard direct kick through Baldwin’s wall in the final minute of the first half.
Punahou was going for a 21st state title. Baldwin has never won one.
The Bears move on to meet Hawaii Prep in an all-neighbor-island final tonight.
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DIVISON II SEMIFINALS
Kamehameha-Hawaii 2, Pac-Five 1, 2OT/PK
The top-seeded Warriors (13-1-0) and fourth-seeded Wolfpack (4-8-2) fought beyond extra time to decide who gets into the state final. Kamehameha-Hawaii advanced to the championship game after a penalty shootout.
David Erskine scored for Kamehameha-Hawaii in regulation and Aiden Spagnoli scored for Pac-Five.
Kapaa 4, McKinley 0
The second-seeded Warriors (8-2-3) punched their ticket into the Division II title game with a team effort. Jacobo Espi, Gabe Franklin, Sage Ioanna and Kahanu Davis each scored goals while keeping the third-seeded Tigers (5-9-1) scoreless.
— Star-Advertiser staff
