Kaiser stuns top-seed Kamehameha in PKs, 3-2


Kaiser's Bryston Nahm celebrates with goal keeper Lorenzo Reeves after scoring the winning penalty kick against Kamehameha. Greg Yamamoto | SL
WAIPAHU - Kaiser coach Marco Antonio Gloria had a good feeling when his Cougars and Kamehameha remained tied at 2 after the second overtime period. That meant penalty kicks.

Goalkeeper Lorenzo Reeves' stuff of Kenneth Kahunahana Jr.'s shot in the ninth-round of penalty kicks set up Bryston Nahm's clinching kick to give the Cougars a stunning 3-2 win against top-seeded Kamehameha Friday night in the semifinals of the JN Automotive Group Division I state boys' soccer tournament at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex's main stadium.

The Cougars, O'ahu Interscholastic Association runner-up, will play defending state champion Punahou, 7 p.m. Saturday for championship. Kaiser, which has never won an OIA title, will be making its first appearance in a state title game.

Gloria had good reason to be confident. Reeves had three saves during penalty kicks in the OIA semifinals against Roosevelt.

"He saved three," Gloria said. "He took the game away. So we knew. Were actually confident going into PKs."

The save against Kahunahana was Reeves' second in the penalty-kicks tie-breaker. Kamehameha led 3-2 in PKs entering the fifth and what was to be the final try. But Reeves stopped Kalei Hanohano's kick with a diving stop to the right. Kaiser, which kicked second, tied it on its fifth try when Zachary Yen's shot sailed just over Kamehameha goalie Chad Nishimura.

With the first five rounds tied, the next round of penalty kicks is the first team to clinch wins. The teams were tied at 3 before Reeves' second save of the penalty-kicks round set up Nahm's clincher.

"I was trying to read him, his hips," Reeves said of his last save. "It was intense. It was all adrenaline.

"I just tried to stay calm. I just played with my heart."

This is Reeves' first season as keeper. He had been a defender before that. He loves his new role.

"I play receiver (in football)," he said. "So I'm better with my hands than my feet."

"We tried him out at the beginning of the year," Gloria said of the position change. "It turns out to be the best move we've ever done."

Caleb Keb paced the Cougars with two goals in regulation. He gave Kaiser a 1-0 lead four minutes, 47 seconds into the contest, but Hanohano tied it at 34:47.

Keb hit a five-yarder at the 47th minute to give the Cougars a 2-1 lead. But a foul set up Kona Gaison's penalty kick at the 61st minute tied it at 2. It stayed that way through the end of regulation and the two 10-minute overtime periods.

The Warriors at 25 shots on goal to the Cougars' 10.

Each team had 20 fouls, but two costly yellow cards to Kaiser's Samuel "Chico" Taylor not only got him disqualified from the remainder of Friday's semifinal, but also for Saturday's championship.


Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].