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Kalani Takase | ScoringLiveFebruary 26, 2016, 10:57pm
Fri, Feb 26, 2016 @ Waipio
WAIPAHU — Punahou was eager to erase the memory of last year.
The Buffanblu did just that Friday night with a 2-0 win over Kamehameha-Maui to reach the title match of The Queen's Medical Center/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I Boys Soccer State Championships.
Reo Nagai and Keenan Dung each scored first-half goals to help second-seeded Punahou, the Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion, go to 11-0-3.
The Buffanblu last reached the state final in 2014 — where they lost to Iolani — and came up short last year after dropping a 1-0 semifinal against eventual-state champ Mililani last year.
"We felt that we were there last year if not for that beautiful free kick, so they're hungry," Punahou coach David Trifonovitch said. "They knew that they could have had it last year so this year they were really hungry for it and so at least we got to the big dance and we'll see what happens."
Punahou will try for its 19th state crown when it faces unseeded Kapolei in Saturday's 7 p.m. title match.
The Buffanblu opened the tournament Thursday with a 4-2 win over Radford after a first-round bye. All six of their goals in the tournament have come from a different player.
"We've done that all year and even though every team wants a go-to guy, we haven't established one and it's just different guys that are stepping up in different moments," Trifonovitch said.
It was just Nagai's second goal of the season. The senior's only other score came in a 2-0 win over Kamehameha on Dec. 17, early in the ILH season.
"Our team, we have a lot of talent and so with all of our different guys scoring it means that we have a lot of talent on the team and we can be a championship team if we use all our tools correctly and in the right way," Nagai said.
Nagai's goal came on a breakaway along the left side in the 27th minute just after a back-to-back spectacular saves by Punahou goalkeeper Tyler Ohata.
"It was a counter and all the guys were on our side of the field and we had a great opportunity with the defenders on the other team already pushed it so it was a great way to score a goal; fast break," Nagai said. "I wasn't expecting the ball, but it was a great opportunity; I was kind of blessed with the ball. We took the opportunity and it worked out."
Ohata, a 6-foot senior, denied consecutive shots on goal by Kamehameha-Maui forward Brennan Joaquin, who scored twice in Thursday's quarterfinal round victory over Kaiser for the Warriors.
"It starts with Tyler making those huge saves in the back there — that was just incredible — and it turns right around and gets us a goal," Trifonovitch said. "What a momentum shift. It just shifted that momentum. I think it got them down a little bit and it just came on from there."
Nagai put consistent pressure on the Warriors' defense with wide runs.
"Reo Nagai came in huge today," Trifonovitch said. "He really had a rough time yesterday and was in tears by the end of the game yesterday, but he worked through it and tonight he came and he played and had a huge score for us."
Dung made it a two-score game in the 33rd minute when he headed a ball over his shoulder from about 12 yards out off a long throw-in from teammate Peyton Sommer.
"I know Peyton (Sommer) can throw a long ball, so I was expecting it," said Dung, a senior midfielder. "I was expecting to flick it actually, but I saw an opportunity to hit it into the net so I did."
It was Dung's team-leading eighth goal of the season.
The Buffanblu held a 2-0 lead for the second time in as many days and limited the amount of scoring chances that Joaquin — a UNLV signee — and company had.
"I'm not going to say it was stress free," Trifonovitch laughed. "It is comfortable, it helps us settle down a little bit, but 2-0 doesn't allow you to do a lot of subbing. You can do some, but when you get to three, then you can start doing a little bit more. It was kind of on that edge today where we were trying to keep guys rotated, trying to keep guys healthy."
Nagai said the cushion allowed the team to play with less consternation.
"When we get the goals in the first half we get the little breather and that allows us to play better because we don't have pressure on us and so getting the early two goals in the first half really worked out and in the second half we just went through the game, played our way and successfully won the game," Nagai said.
Kamehameha-Maui, the Maui Interscholastic League titlist and third seed in the 12-team tournament, fell to 11-2-1.
The Queen's Medical Center/HHSAA Boys Soccer State ChampionshipsAt Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex
Division I TournamentWednesdayFirst roundGame 1 — Baldwin 2, Mililani 1G2 — Kapolei 2, Mid-Pacific 0G3 — Radford 5, Hilo 1G4 — Moanalua 5, Kaiser 3ThursdayConsolation semifinalsG5 — Mid-Pacific 3, Mililani 2G6 — Moanalua 3, Hilo 2QuarterfinalsG7 — No. 3 Kamehameha-Maui 4, Kaiser 2G8 — Kapolei 2, No. 4 Kealakehe 1 (OT)G9 — No. 2 Punahou 4, Radford 2G10 — No. 1 Kalani 1, Baldwin 0FridayConsolation finalG15 — Mid-Pacific 2, Hilo 0Fifth-place semifinals G11 — Kealakehe 4, Baldwin 1G12 — Kaiser 3, Radford 2Championship semifinals G13 — Punahou 2, Kamehameha-Maui 0G14 — Kapolei 2, Kalani 0SaturdayFifth-place finalG16 — Kealakehe vs. Kaiser, 3 p.m. field 7Third-place finalG17 — Kalani vs. Kamehameha-Maui, 3 p.m. field 9Championship finalG18 — Kapolei vs. Punahou, 7 p.m. main stadium
Division II TournamentThursdayQuarterfinalsGame 1 — No. 1 Hawaii Prep 5, Waialua 0G2 — Pac-Five 6, Seabury Hall 2G3 — Kamehameha-Hawaii 2, No. 2 Waimea 1G4 — Honokaa 2, No. 3 Roosevelt 1 (OT)FridayConsolation semifinals G5 — Waialua 4, Seabury Hall 3G6 — Roosevelt 1, Waimea 0 (PK)Championship semifinalsG7 — Kamehameha-Hawaii 3, Honokaa 0G8 — Hawaii Prep 2, Pac-Five 1 (2OT)SaturdayConsolation finalG9 — Waialua vs. Roosevelt, 3 p.m. field 12Third-place finalG10 — Honokaa vs. Pac-Five, 3 p.m. field 6Championship finalG11 — Kamehameha-Hawaii vs. Hawaii Prep, 5 p.m. main stadium
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