Greg Yamamoto | SL

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_22021321_LeilehuaD2Champs_8971.jpg - Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Leilehua rallied from an early deficit to capture its first OIA girls soccer championship since 2011 with a 2-1 win over Kalaheo in the league's Division II title match Saturday night at Kapolei's Alvin Nagasako Athletic Complex.

Freshman Iris Miguel scored the go-ahead goal and assisted on another to power the Mules (6-5-1) over the Mustangs (5-5-1), who won the league's previous two D2 title prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sophomore Alexyz Nakamoto was another key player for Leilehua, who threatened the Kalaheo backline many times with her speed down the left side of the field. Nakamoto, who entered the match with 16 goals scored to lead all D2 players, netted the equalizer on her seventh shot attempt of the first half. She also drew a free kick outside of the penalty area that led to Miguel's game-winning score in the 43rd minute.

"It feels amazing, all glory goes to God," Nakamoto said after winning the title. "In the beginning of the season, it was all brand new players. It was kind of shaky in the beginning, but we have amazing coaches that trained us and helped us to become a team and work on the field together."

Nakamoto and Miguel are part of a group of underclassmen that were instrumental in the Mules' run to their second league crown. Miguel's sophomore sister Lily, an attacking midfielder, and sophomore center back Claire Eisen, were also important.

"We were blessed with four good club players," said Leilehua coach James Uson. "I'm saying good because they're the ones who kind of took the team under their guard, helping them out with drills, teaching them what to do with the young inexperienced ones."

Leilehua was the aggressors early, with Nakamoto getting off four shots on goal before the 24th minute. Kalaheo keeper Sara Koch had her work cut out for her with four first-half saves, six total for the match.

The Mustangs battled back though and started to get into a rhythm midway through the first half. Liv Deeley drew a tripping penalty on a fast break in the 25th minute that nearly netted a goal. Kilinahe Schenk's free kick from 40 yards out was mishandled by the Leilehua keeper, but Haylee Manoa's shot for close range went over the post.

Two minutes later, Kalaheo was able to cash in. The Mustangs went the length of the field down the right side in three passes and drew a corner kick. Schnek's corner kick went over the scrum and found Deeley for a backdoor goal in the 27th minute.

Leilehua got the equalizer in the 35th minute after Iris Miguel found Nakamoto on a cross. The scoring play was set up by freshman Maci Rivera, who came off the bench to fill the midfielder position on the right side of the field. Rivera won possession of a ball in Leileua territory and dribbled it past midfield before sending a through ball that Miguel was able to collect after getting past the back line. Once Miguel got the ball, Nakamoto was able to settle into a soft spot in the defense for a clear shot from 45 yards out.

"I've had a lot of plays with Alexyz and we see through each other on the field a lot," Miguel said of her chemistry with Nakamoto. "I was going to take another touch, but I just saw her take a step back and I knew she had it. I have confidence in her because I believe in her."

Uson said his team has experience facing early deficits.

"That shows the resilience of my team," he said. "We've been scored on in the first five minutes probably in four or five games and we always have to dig ourselves out of that hole, but a team's resiliency shows that they can get out of the hole and today same thing. We get scored on, that's nothing. We just got to get out of the hole and continue on."

The Mules finally took the lead late in the 43rd minute after Nakamoto was tripped on the outskirts of the goal area near the left side of the field. The free kick bounced around in front of the goal for a bit before Miguel was able to gather it for the go-ahead score.

Miguel said that it was a nerve-racking moment.

"The ball came to me and it went off me and there were girls huddling all around me and I was super stressed out, but I turned and I saw the goal wide-open and I knew I had to take that shot and I took it and it went in like I wanted to," she said.

The game got physical late in the second half as Kalaheo fought hard to tie it, but the Mules were able to hold on for the win.

"We play a lot of the Division I teams and we get pushed around," said Uson. "We told them that's part of the game. We got to be physical. Sometimes you're going to get pushed around, but you also got to push them off the ball so we worked on that this whole week. Good thing we did that today."

Both teams will represent the OIA in the Queen's Medical Center Girls Soccer Championships, with the D2 tournament starting on Feb. 23.