Displaying a blend of speed and elusiveness, Kamehameha forward Kalia Kalua gave opponents headaches, and her gifted scoring touch was the factor that elevated her to Honolulu Star-Advertiser girls soccer Player of the Year honors.
Kalua beat out King Kekaulike junior midfielder Teani Arakawa — the only other player in Hawaii to get multiple Player of the Year votes from a panel of coaches and media.
Kalua, a senior, is a repeat selection to the newspaper’s Stellar Eleven All-State team. She scored nine goals this year, including three in state tournament quarterfinal and semifinal victories en route to the Warriors’ second Division I title in a row.
“Kalia had a really good year, and her work rate was really high,” Kamehameha coach Missy Moore said. “I’m really proud of her. Just having goal scorers these days is really hard to come by. She has such a nose for the goal.”
Moore probably won’t have to worry too much about goal scoring next year with the return of sophomore forward Anuhea Aluli, another of the four All-State choices from the Warriors. Aluli notched 13 goals, including the game-winner in a 1-0 win over King Kekaulike in the state championship game.
“Anu is another player who scores goals and is growing as a player and is going to get better as time goes on,” Moore said.
The other two Kamehameha first-team selections are senior defender Tausani Tavale and junior midfielder Caly Ah Soon. Tavale also made the Stellar Eleven two years ago before sitting out her junior season with an ACL injury. Ah Soon was a steady presence for the Warriors and played the whole state tourney with a sprained ankle.
Arakawa stormed into the state’s soccer consciousness with an outstanding state tournament, leading King Kekaulike into the title game. She scored 18 goals and added 10 assists this season and showed intense speed, quickness, ball control and heads-up play at states.
And she wasn’t the only Na Alii team member making a dent in this year’s All-State selections. Sophomore Kaehukai Kaaihue (18 goals), a poised midfielder, and senior defender Zoe Asue, a rugged defender, also made the first team.
In addition, King Kekaulike’s Gundi Dancil took Coach of the Year honors for getting his team to the final on a run that included wins over Punahou, Pearl City and Hilo.
Pearl City senior forward Caylie Uyema (24 goals), Mililani junior defender Jacey Jicha, Campbell junior midfielder Jourdyn Curran (seven goals, 11 assists) and Konawaena senior goalkeeper Kyanah Blas round out the first team.
“The thing most don’t see … is the dirty work that has similar if not more impact on the game (than goals and assists),” Sabers coach James Curran said about his daughter. “Breaking up plays, tracking back, interceptions, delaying and denying an attack, etc.”
Curran and Blas join Kalua as repeat choices to the Stellar Eleven, which is made up of five seniors, four juniors and two sophomores.
Blas and Tavale have signed to play for the University of Hawaii next season.
Hawaii Prep junior midfielder Malia Brost is a repeat choice on the All-State second team, and ‘Iolani senior defender Kelsey Wong — a first-team selection in 2018 — is among the the second-team honorees.
Of the 22 first- and second-team picks, seven are from the ILH, six from the OIA, five from the BIIF and four from the MIL. There are seven forwards, eight midfielders, five defenders and two goalkeepers.
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