Hawaiian Electric Game of the Week
Warriors edge Sabers for ninth state crown


Stacy Kaneshiro | ScoringLive
February 3, 2019, 12:33am

  


Sat, Feb 2, 2019 @ Waipio

Campbell

0

Kamehameha

1

Final 1st 2nd OT 2OT PK Tot
Campbell (12-5-1) 0 0 - - - 0
Kamehameha (14-2-0) 1 0 - - - 1
L. Feato

WAIPAHU — Leah Feato's first-half goal and Caela Kaio's leaping save proved to be the difference as No. 1 and top-seeded Kamehameha edged No. 8 and unseeded Campbell, 1-0, Saturday night to capture its first The Queen's Medical Center Division I girls soccer state championship since 2014.

The Warriors (14-2) extended their win streak to six before a modest crowd of about 500 at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex. The title is their ninth overall, second most in the 38 years of the tournament; Punahou leads with 11 crowns.

"I'm so excited, proud of my team," Feato said. "This is the first time we've won in a really long time, so we're super excited to bring (the title) back to the hill (Kapalama Heights)."

For the Sabers (12-5-1), which was the Oahu Interscholastic Association's fifth-place team, there would be no Cinderella finish, as their five-game win streak — all shutouts — was stopped by an impenetrable Warriors' defense, which recorded their third shutout of the tournament.

Feato's goal was initiated after a throw-in from about 10 yards out from the right sideline. Carley Park took the throw-in and launched a high cross to the back post where Feato headed the ball and booted the bounce from about 5 yards in the 34th minute to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead. It was a fitting finish for Feato, who missed most of the season with a knee injury. Though she returned by the beginning of the new year, she was brought along slowly, coming off the bench.

"It was really exciting and I couldn't have done it without my team," Feato said. "They supported me throughout my injury (rehab) and when I came back, we all supported each other. We had a common goal and we just got that today."

In the second half, the 5-foot-10 Kaio leaped up and her outstretched arms deflected Cheyenne Mattos' free kick from about 45 yards over the cross bar to preserve the shutout.

"I misjudged the power of it," admitted Kaio. "But on those, it's pretty much it's in or it's out. I was a little overwhelmed because we had a 1-0 lead and if it went in, we'd be back starting all over again. It was relieving. Oh, my. Thank God."

All season, the Warriors used a different goalie in each half. Chaylea Tome, who is 5-4, started the first half. The five-inch differential was probably the difference in the game. Also, by alternating goalies all season, Kaio said that kept her legs fresh, thus helping her leap high to make the deflection.


Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




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