Kama Pascua (2) readies up for a long shot against Punahou from just inside the penalty box. Sean Nakamura | SL

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Iolani players pose for a team picture after winning the Division I state championship over Punahou. Scott Nishi | SL

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Iolani's Alyssa Kim (11) breaks away from Punahou's Lauren Candelario (7). Sean Nakamura | SL

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Iolani's Jill Shimabuku battle with a Punahou defender. Sean Nakamura | SL

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Jensen Toner (10) strikes to score the first and only goal in the match for Punahou. Sean Nakamura | SL

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Punahou's Jensen Toner goes airborne for a header attempt against Iolani. Scott Nishi | SL

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Iolani fans were out in force for the title game. Sean Nakamura | SL

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Iolani's Taylor Kipilii and Jill Shimabuku celebrate with the Division I trophy. Sean Nakamura | SL

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Iolani's Kama Pascua attempts to dribble past the defense of Punahou's Hi'i Thomas and Natasha Gosiaco. Scott Nishi | SL

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Iolani girls celebrate in after winning the HHSAA Division I girls soccer championship title. Sean Nakamura | SL

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Sat, Feb 2, 2013 @ Waipio

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Punahou

1

Iolani

3

Final	1st	2nd	OT	2OT	PK	Tot
Punahou (13-3-1)	0	0	-	-	-	1
Iolani (14-1-1)	0	0	-	-	-	3

J. Shimabuku (2)   A. Kim    J. Toner

WAIPAHU - The Iolani Raiders are going to party like it's 1999.

Jill Shimabuku scored two goals - one in each half - to help Iolani to a 3-1 win over Interscholastic League of Honolulu rival Punahou in the title game of the Outrigger Hotels & Resorts/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I Girls Soccer State Championships Saturday night.

A crowd of about 1,500 fans at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium saw the Raiders end the season with a 14-1-1 record in winning their first state crown since 1999 - when head coach Kristin Masunaga was the starting goalkeeper and a team captain - and fourth in school history.

"It was very stressful, but I'm so happy for them and their sense of accomplishment," Masunaga said. "It's been our goal, obviously - this is my fourth year (as head coach) - so it's special because we've had these freshmen for four years now and for them to go out with a state title, I'm very, very happy for them."

The third time proved to be a charm for Iolani, who also reached the state title game the previous two seasons, but lost to Punahou and Kamehameha, respectively.

"The majority of our seniors have experienced going through the state tournament the past few years - we got knocked out the first year not even in the quarterfinals and then the last two years in the state championship game, so we didn't want to experience that again," Masunaga said.

One of those seniors that has been through it all with Masunaga is Shimabuku, a midfielder/defender who scored her sixth and seventh goals of the season in the championship final.

"It's been really good, there's been a lot of changes," Shimabuku said. "Our girls went through so much stuff, we stuck together the whole time and we worked really hard and this was well deserved, I think."

Shimabuku opened the scoring early on when she received a well-placed pass from Kama Pascua near the left side of the goalie box and put her shot past Punahou goalie Noelani Kong-Johnson.

"Kama had a transition and there was like four girls on her, so I knew she couldn't get a shot off and I was in the middle, I came for it, she gave me a beautiful pass and I just finished it," said Shimabuku, who also scored a goal in earlier tournament wins over Moanalua and Kaiser.

Iolani peppered the Punahou goal with seven first-half shots and controlled must of the possession before the intermission. The Buffanblu had a few offensive looks in the final minutes of the first half, but the Raiders had defenders in place each time to kill the scoring opportunities.

It was more of the same in the second half as Iolani had three corner kicks in the first 12 minutes or so after halftime.

"They're a very strong team and they play well together," Punahou coach Starr Johnson said, who admitted the four games in as many days finally caught up with her team. "We knew that (Iolani's) legs were more rested, we knew that we had many more bumps and bruises and fatigue setting in, and we also know they're a great team."

For the most part, the Raiders held their own against the Buffanblu's prolific scoring duo of Dempsey Banks and Jensen Toner. However, Toner finally broke through for Punahou in the 61st minute with the game-tying goal off an assist from Banks. The right-footed shot from about 20 yards out went to the right of Raiders' goalie Courtney Overland and into the net.

"Dempsey and Jensen account for the majority of their goals and we just had to be aware of where they were," Masunaga said of the pair, who are headed to Cornell and USC, respectively, next year. "On Jensen's goal, she makes that sneaky run, she gets behind us and we get punished for it."

However, Shimabuku answered for the Raiders just four minutes later when she put away a loose ball in the box off a direct, free kick by Taylor Kipilii from 30 yards out.

"We just had to dig deep," Shimabuku said. "We just said the team that's going to win is the team that wants it more and plays with heart, so that's what we did, we just dug deep and finished the game strong."

Alyssa Kim added an insurance goal for Iolani in the 72nd minute off an assist from Megan Goo to close out the scoring.

"It feels super good, we've been working really hard this whole season and it was our goal to win ILH and to win states, so to win it and for all the nine seniors that's been there the past four years, it feels good," Shimabuku said.

Shimabuku entered the postseason with just three goals on the year and had not scored prior to the state tournament since a Jan. 16 win over Sacred Hearts.

"I don't know, I got some magic mojo and I just felt it, it felt really good," said Shimabuku, who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Overland and Kong-Johnson each made four saves in goal. Iolani had 13 shots to Punahou's seven for the game, but was called for 13 fouls to Punahou's eight. The Buffanblu managed just one corner kick.

It was the fourth meeting between the teams this season. Iolani won the first game, 5-2, back on Dec. 12, but Punahou took the second game, 2-0, on Jan. 9. Iolani held off Punahou, 2-1, in penalty kicks to win the ILH championship in their most recent meeting on Jan. 25.

Johnson, who completed her first year as head coach, was proud of her players' efforts despite some tired legs.

"We knew (fatigue) was a factor going in and we talked about what to do about it tactically and the girls played the best they could," Johnson said. "The girls fought hard and from the inside they didn't falter. Their hearts kept pushing until the very end and that's all we wanted to see from them."

Iolani cruised to a 6-1 semifinal win over Kaiser Friday and had a first-round bye as the top overall seed in the 12-team tournament. Whatsmore, Masunaga was able to substitute liberally in both halves against the Buffanblu Saturday.

"We know what it's like to play four games in a row. It definitely takes a toll on your body," Masunaga said. "We saw that so we put more subs in, kept fresh legs on the field and I think it wore them down."

Shimabuku said the extra rest time was a big help down the stretch.

"It felt really good and it made a big difference and it actually helped because when our subs would go in, they kept up the intensity and we could rest, so it worked out really good," said Shimabuku, who has not yet decided where she will be attending school next year.

Punahou, which was unseeded as the ILH runner-up, was seeking its 12th state title in program history and first since a three-peat from 2009 to 2011. The Buffanblu, who beat Pearl City, No. 3-seed Kamehameha-Maui and No. 2-seed Mililani en route to the title game, finished with a 13-3-1 record. All three losses came against Iolani.

DIVISION I ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

D - Kylie Chun, Punahou
D - Taylor Kipili'i, 'Iolani
MF - Nikki Mitsuyasu, 'Iolani
MF - Ashley Park-Hunt, 'Iolani
MF - Jill Shimabuku, 'Iolani
MF - Dani Stollar, Punahou
MF - Jensen Toner, Punahou
F - Dempsey Banks, Punahou
F - Alyssa Kim, 'Iolani
F - Kama Pascua, 'Iolani
F - TJ Reyno, Mililani
GK - Tasalina Leoso, Mililani

Most Outstanding Player: Jill Shimabuku, 'Iolani