Mid-Pacific Julie Kihl battles for the battle against Hawaii Prep. Sylvia Lee | SL

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Mid-Pacific teammates celebrate with Julie Khil (7) after her opening score of the game for the Owls on the 31st minute. Sean Nakamura | SL

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Mid-Pacific players pose for a team picture after winning the Division II state championship game over Hawaii Prep. Scott Nishi | SL

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Mid-Pacific's Taylor Higa (11) breaks away from Hawaii Prep's Teia Knoll (23) to score the Owls' second goal of the match in the 36th minute. Sean Nakamura | SL

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Hawaii Prep's Emily Evans battles Mid-Pacific's Julie Khil for the ball. Scott Nishi | SL

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Mid-Pacific players pose with the trophy after defeating Hawaii Prep to win their third consecutive Division II title. Sean Nakamura | SL

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Sat, Feb 2, 2013 @ Waipio

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Hawaii Prep

0

Mid-Pacific

2

Final	1st	2nd	OT	2OT	PK	Tot
Hawaii Prep (2-1-0)	0	0	-	-	-	0
Mid-Pacific (7-7-1)	0	0	-	-	-	2

T. Higa    J. Khil

For Julie Khil and Taylor Higa, culminating their careers with a three-peat was nothing short of a storybook ending.

Khil and Higa each knocked home a goal in a 2-0 shutout of Hawaii Prep as Mid-Pacific claimed its third straight championship at the 32nd annual Outrigger Hotels & Resorts/HHSAA Division II State Championship, a game that was also a rematch of the 2012 title game.

"It honestly means the world to us," said Higa. "Freshman year we weren't as strong but we kept building from there and to be here where we are with the three-peat is just amazing. No words can express how happy we are right now."

"They're a great team (Hawaii Prep)." added Khil. "It was the perfect matchup because we are both possession-wise teams. It was just a great game."

With the game scoreless over the first 30 minutes, the Owls got a golden opportunity on a long pass to Jenna Richards, who hit Khil with a nice touch pass as Hawaii Prep keeper Morgan Monahan charged. Khil redirected the ball just in the nick of time, and the crowd of about 800 watched it trickle in for the opening goal.

"It was a perfect ball by Jenna and we had two girls running on and I was lucky to get it." said Khil.

Then just five minutes later, Mid-Pacific struck once again. This time it would Khil setting the table for Higa, who lasered a strike into the right corner of the goal for an all-important two-score cushion.

"Me and Julie we kind of did a one-two, and the girl (the Hawaii Prep defender) touched it a little bit, and it went by her, and I tried to speed up and get around her, the I shot it." explained Higa.

Owls led 2-0 at the end of the first half.

Hawaii Prep attempted 16 shots in the title game, but Mid-Pacific keeper Sarah Poppinga was equal to the task, collecting nine saves to keep Ka Makani off the scoreboard.

"Sarah stepped up a lot this year. She's very athletic, and comes from a very athletic family. The thing we work on with Sarah is her footwork and get her to move." said Mid-Pacific head coach Dave Pai. "I think you saw that tonight, she got out, she moved, she made a lot of key saves."

Pai spoke about what this third consecutive title meant to his team, particularly the dozen seniors who have been a part of each win.

"We had a solid group of seven these girls that have been on this team for four years and we've had the ability to build and grow them as a team." said Pai. "Two years ago it was the same players scoring the goals, but we didn't have a lot of finesse to our game."

"Last year, we played a little bit more possession oriented, a little bit better positioning. And this year, I think you're seeing that its the third year in a row, the same players, that they can do more stuff."

DIVISION II ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

D - Mia Cabulisan, Kapa'a
D - Taylor Foster, Kapa'a
D - Janaye Shepherd, Mid-Pacific
MF - Emily Evans, Hawai'i Prep
MF - Gabbie Ewing, Hawai'i Prep
MF - Cascade Mayer, Kaua'i
MF - Jenna Richards, Mid-Pacific
MF - Nanea Tavares, Hawai'i Prep
MF - Bri Vallente, Hawai'i Prep
F - Taylor Higa, Mid-Pacific
F - Julie Khil, Mid-Pacific
F - Malu Vegas, Kaua'i

Co-Most Outstanding Players: Taylor Higa and Julie Khil, Mid-Pacific