Kalaheo back on top in OIA D2 girls soccer

Kalaheo players celebrate after defeating Waialua, 2-0, to win their second league crown in three seasons. CJ Caraang | SL

KAPOLEI — Sienna Decosta and Malia Wallace each found the back of the net to help Kalaheo to its second Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II title in three seasons with a 2-0 win over Waialua Saturday night.

The Mustangs, the top seed out of the Eastern Division, improved to 7-4-1 with the win, their sixth in seven games, on a clear evening at Kapolei Stadium.

Decosta scored her fifth goal of the year in the very first minute, capitalizing on a miscue by Waialua goalkeeper Mahealani Farrell.

"I'm not sure who crossed it, but I just saw the ball going toward the keeper and my instinct is to just run toward the keeper and follow through," Decosta said. "I didn't know what was going to happen until the keeper popped it up, it went over her and I just had to go through it and finish it."

Kalaheo first-year coach Jenefer Miles said Decosta did exactly as she's trained to do.

"I love her follow-through," Miles said of the junior forward. "Sienna's goal is what happens when a forward follows through. We always tell them to touch the bar on that goal, follow through and she did that and she got it in."

The score held until Wallace scored in the 35th minute to give her team a two-goal lead.

"I just took the ball and I just had all this confidence," said Wallace, a senior. "I remembered how I was playing when I was younger and it pushed me all the way and I had to go for it."

It was Wallace's seventh goal of the season.

All seven of Kalaheo's wins this season have come via shutout.

"Defensively, we did a good job," Miles said. "We've had way cleaner games, but these girls did their job."

Both Decosta and Wallace were members of the 2014 Kalaheo team that won the school's first D2 league crown.

"Sophomore year was a really good feeling," Wallace said. "I didn't play much because I was only a sophomore, but that team was fun to play on, but with this team I don't think we've ever been so tight and that's what got us winning all the way."

The Mustangs moved up to Division I in 2015, but missed the playoffs altogether.

"It benefitted us; we got closer," Decosta said. "From not being able to win much games last year, we got closer this year."

Miles said the veterans on the team drew from playing in the title match two years ago prior to Friday's game.

"It helped the nerves, I think, coming in, because we talked to them coming in and they were really comfortable," Miles said. "It's a big help to the mental game so having them seasoned like that is really helpful for the team, especially for the younger ones."

The Bulldogs, who were the top seed out of the West, fell to 4-7-1. They were seeking a second consecutive OIA title.

Farrell made 11 saves in goal for Waialua, while Tierra Bush made four stops for Kalaheo.

Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].