Fast start helps Kamehameha lock up state berth over Iolani

Kamehameha's Caly Ah Soon scored the first goal in the Warriors' 3-1 win over Iolani Saturday afternoon. Michael Lasquero | SL

An early goal in any contest drastically affects the pace in a match.

What about three?

No. 2 Kamehameha did all its scoring before the 15th minute as it cruised to a 3-1 win over eighth-ranked Iolani in a critical ILH girls soccer match at Kozuki Stadium Saturday afternoon.

With the win the Warriors, the defending state champions, improved to 7-0-1 (22 championship points) as they locked up one of the two league's Division I state berths with two games left in the season.

Top-ranked Punahou (7-0-1), who picked up a 7-0 win over PAC-5 earlier in the day, also locked up a state berth which meant that the Raiders at 4-3-1 (13 championship points) have no shot at a postseason appearance. The ILH used to have a second-round tournament to determine one of the state berths, but the league decided in the offseason to go by championship points and best record during the regular season to decide the two berths.

Junior midfielder Caly Ah Soon got the scoring started in the fifth minute with her right-footed kick from the right side of the field that snuck into the upper left corner of the net.

Sophomore Anuhea Aluli doubled the Warriors' lead seven minutes later with her team-leading seventh goal of the season. She also hit a nice through ball to senior forward Kalia Kalua in the 14th minute for Kamehameha's final goal of the afternoon.

Iolani junior Ali Yoshida snuck in a goal in the 77th minute, but the Warriors held the Raiders relatively in check for majority of the match.

Key players on defense for Kamehameha include sophomore outside backs Charis Marie Ramos and Sienna Inouye, senior center back Tausani Tavale and freshman keeper Marley Roe. Ah Soon was dropped back in the middle after the Warriors' early lead.