All WW Teams In Post-season
As the OIA girls soccer tourney plays out this week, the playoff pressure shouldn’t faze Castle, Kailua and Kahuku teams: They’ve already faced their share of close games in Red East.
Indeed, such was the parity this season that the top four teams – Kaiser, Kahuku, Castle and Moanalua – combined for a 33-7 record. With West powers Kapolei, Mililani and Campbell joining the mix, the post-season should be as entertaining as ever. (Pairings for the OIA Red tournament were released after press time.) Playoff previews for Castle, Kailua and Kahuku follow. Kalaheo is in Division II this post-season.
Castle High
Season record: 8-2 (tied for second in the Red East with Kahuku and Moanalua)
Signature wins: Over Kalani 3-0 Dec. 7, over Kahuku 2-1 Dec. 18, over Kailua 1-0 Dec. 21
Knights at a glance: Castle set the tone early by winning their first six games. Most impressive was the way they handled business, as they posted a 4-1 record in games decided by one game or less. Winning close games bodes well for a team’s post-season chances. The only two losses were to season champion Kaiser (5-1) and Roosevelt (2-1) on the road. Castle also had a 3-0 record versus Windward rivals Kalaheo (1-0), Kailua (1-0) and Kahuku (2-1). Offensive leaders include Vanessa Chinen (seven goals), Kayla Silva-Gage, Mikayala Harada and Destinee Hanaike.
Kahuku High
Season record: 8-2 (tied for second in the Red East with Castle and Moanalua)
Signature wins: Over Kalaheo 1-0 Dec. 7, over Kaiser 3-2 Dec. 28, over Kailua 4-1 Jan. 4
Red Raiders at a glance: Among the gems on their season resume was the 3-2 win over Kaiser, which provided the league champion Cougars their only loss to date. Kahuku was then in the midst of an impressive three-game win streak that included a road win at Kailua as well as a 3-1 win at home against Roosevelt. Over the long haul, Kahuku has been one of the most consistent outfits in the East, as close games marked their season. The only two losses came to Castle and Moanalua. Sisters Maila and Kamaile Aluli lead the team scoring, having combined for 17 goals so far.
Kailua High
Season record: 6-4 in the Red East
Signature wins: Over Kalaheo 2-1 Dec. 11, over Roosevelt 2-0 Jan. 15
Surfriders at a glance: Kailua’s road win at Roosevelt last week to close out the season should be a good confidence-builder for the Surfriders, who had suffered a four-game skid against the OIA elite – Castle, Kahuku, Moanalua and Kaiser. Kailua began the season with five straight wins to nicely position it for the playoffs. Top scorers are Taylor Strong, Kyla Cantillo and Helena Ankien.
Kalaheo High
Season record: 4-6 in the White East
Signature wins: Over Kalani 1-0 Jan. 8, over Mc-Kinley 2-0 Jan. 15
Mustangs at a glance: Perhaps no team on the East side had a tougher schedule to navigate this winter than Kalaheo, whose first five opponents were Castle, Kahuku, Kailua, Kaiser and Moanalua – Division I teams that have combined to win 39 games to this point. Although Kalaheo lost all five of those games, a four-game win streak to end the season should have it among the favorites in the DII OIA tournament. Leilehua and Radford are likely opponents this week for the Mustangs, who seek to return to the DII state tournament. Kalaheo is led by seniors Taylor Catobus, Jenn Chun, Mayumi Ishikawa, Mele Kahanu and Helena Stevenson.
