Perry's golden goal lifts HPA by Pac-Five, 2-1, in 2 OT


Hawaii Prep players celebrate a golden goal victory over Pac-Five in the Division II semifinals. CJ Caraang | SL

WAIPAHU – Hawaii Prep Academy's boys need not look far for inspiration in The Queen's Medical Center Division II state soccer tournament.

Ka Makani are advancing to their first title game since 2009 after beating tournament newcomer Pac-Five, 2-1, in double overtime Thursday at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex main stadium.

Hawaii Prep (15-1-1) will meet Kamehameha-Hawaii (12-4-2) for the D2 championship, 5 p.m. Saturday in yet another all-Big Island Interscholastic Federation finale. Last week, the two schools played for the girls' championship.

Justin Perry scored from about five yards out from the left side three minutes into the second sudden-death OT period to break the 1-all deadlock.

After watching the girls win their third consecutive D2 state title last week, the boys are hoping write their own history.

"It's incredible," Perry said. "We hope to build a program like (the HPA girls) have right now. We look up to them and we're hoping to do the same thing this year."

The Wolfpack (4-9-1), making their tournament debut, gave Ka Makani a run.

"We had our chances," Pac-Five coach Robert Smock said. "We took them to overtime. Just didn't go our way.

"It was our first time. We wanted to have fun, get as far as we could. We still have to come tomorrow."

The Wolfpack will play Honokaa for third place.

Trailing, 1-0 after halftime, Pac-Five evened the game at 1 when Zac Trevorrow scored on a penalty kick in the 49th minute after a dangerous play foul on HPA.

Hawaii Prep took a 1-0 lead in the 20th minutes when Austin Schneider scored from left side just outside the goal box. Referees conferred for less than a minute before determining there was no offside on the play.

With about 10 minutes left in regulation, HPA had an apparent goal nullified by an offside call.

After a scoreless first 10-minute OT, the Warriors finally broke the deadlock on a break away by Perry. He was one-on-one with a Pac-Five defender for about 25 yards before shooting the ball past goalie Kenny Rah for the game-winner.

"I used my strength," Perry said. "Since I'm bigger and faster than a lot of the kids out here, I just tried to be physical on the ball and put it in the post with my left foot."

Hawaii Prep coach Rich Braithwaite said Perry lives for clutch situations.

"Every time he came off, he said there's nothing more fun than this," Braithwaite said. "He said this is what we look for. He's right. There's nothing more fun than overtime."

Pac-Five's only score came on a penalty kick when Sihkea Kim was called for pushing a Wolfpack player from behind.

"I was upset because the guy's back was to the goal," Braithwaite said. "It wasn't a goal-scoring opportunity. Usually referees put that right outside the box."

Except for PK, HPA's defense was solid. Pac-Five managed only eight shots on goal and HPA goalie Trent Wise saved five of them.

"Midfield played well, defensively," Braithwaite said. "Our back four (fullbacks) were stout and our keeper had huge saves."

This is Hawaii Prep's seventh D2 tournament appearance and will be in the title game for the second time. Prior to the advent of D2, HPA had made 22 state appearances, but never advanced past its five semifinal appearances.

 

 

 

 

 



Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].