Iolani's Cinderella season ended in the wind and rain of Maui Saturday night as the Raiders fell to the Warriors of Kamehameha 3-0 in the final game of the State Championship tournament.
AD Carl Schroers called the game in live to this website, but there was not much good news to share as Kamehameha dominated the game and scored on a corner and a freak play off a goal kick as well as a well-executed scoring play as the game wound down.
Iolani's young team can hold their heads high, however, and head into the off season as ILH champions and with the promise of another successful season ahead of them.
Saturday
As AD Carl Schroers put it, "Remember how bad it was last night? Tonight is worse. We're under a tent. Heavy wind and rain.
The first half finished with Iolani trailing Kamehameha 1-0.
Second half news when it happens....
"We're getting hammered," reports AD Carl Schroers from the scene of the deluge on Maui. With eight minutes to go in the second half, the Raiders trail 3-0. Does not look as if it's going to be Iolani's night.
Final score when it ends.....
It's ended. Iolani loses 3-0. Is that rain or tears?
Friday:
Playing in miserable conditions on Maui--wind and driven rain, the Raiders trail Kealakehe 1-0 at the half.
According to AD Carl Schroers on the field, the Waveriders scored on a header off a corner kick just before the half.
Iolani, as in the previous game against Honokaa, has had numerous shots on the Kealakehe goal, but nothing to show for it yet.
Second half soon to come.
Ten minutes into the second half Micah Miyaki tied the score on a penalty kick for the Raiders. Zach NaPier was fouled inside the box.
The score is now 1-1 with 30 minutes to go in the game. Conditions still abysmal. Play continues.
The game ends tied, 1-1. We're headed to overtime. Someone has to win. Two overtimes and then the dreaded shoot-out. Let's hope not.
In the first overtime Kealakehe had the wind at its back and launched long drives down the field that Iolani had trouble working back up the field in the face of a wet thirty mile an hour wind. Neither team could score.
On to second OT....Nothing, neither way.
We go to the shootout......
John Chang makes the first shoot out shot. 1-0 Iolani
Kealakehe missed--shot went wide.1-0
Micah Miyaki makes his.2-0
Kealakehe makes theirs--2-1
Zach Napier makes his--3-1
Kealakehe makes it--keeper blocked but it rolled in -- 3-2
Milo Kalama makes his 4-2
Kealakehe makes it 4-3
Zach NaPier makes the clincher 5-3
Iolani wins!
Many thanks to AD Carl Schroers for sticking it out in miserable conditions to call in the game's progress.
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Thursday
First Half
No score at the half, although according to trainer Louise Inafuku, our on-the-spot correspondent, Iolani dominated the field of play with at least six shots on goal. Honokaa did not seriously threaten the Iolani goal.
Second Half
Iolani came out with renewed intensity, and Kirtus Adams quickly scored on a soft lob over the Honokaa keeper's head to make it 1-0.
Kirtus almost scored again, but his shot glanced off the keeper onto the foot of Ryan Harada who drove it home for the score and a 2-0 lead.
With 20 minutes to go in the game, Lee Anderson scored on a free kick.
For the rest of the half, the Raiders were content to sit on their lead, the only excitement coming when Lee Anderson got a yellow card; he remains eligible for the next game, however, against an opponent yet to be determined.
The game will be at 8:00, and full coverage will be found right here at the Iolani Sports Center. Thanks to correspondent Lee Inafuku for her reporting from Maui.
Iolani wins 3-0!
Star Bulletin coverage:
Iolani 3, Honokaa 0
Despite thoroughly dominating the first half, Iolani had nothing to show for its considerable effort.
"We moved the ball around well in the first half, but we couldn't finish our opportunities," said Iolani coach Chris Lee, whose team owned a 10-1 edge in shots following those scoreless first 40 minutes.
"We told them to be patient, to be persistent and that the goals would come."
And come they did. The first at 42:27 by Kirtus Adams. The second at 49:39 by Ryan Harada. And the third at 54:14 on a 25-yard free kick by Lee Anderson.
