Aiea's Keoki Stephens accounted for three goals and an assist over Nanakuli. CJ Caraang | SL

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Fri, Jan 7, 2022 @ Aiea

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Nanakuli

0

Aiea

11

Final	1st	2nd	OT	2OT	PK	Tot
Nanakuli (1-9-0)	0	0	-	-	-	0
Aiea (10-7-0)	8	3	-	-	-	11

K. Stephens (11’, 20’, 60’)   R. Crisostomo (22’, 45’)   S. Nakahara (2’, 22’)   K. Jacang (14’)   B. Boyea-Quiton (42’)   B. Ranit (27’)   M. Pleasant (32’)

AIEA — Keoki Stephens netted a hat trick and host Aiea scored early and often in an 11-0 rout of Nanakuli in an Oahu Interscholastic Association Western Division boys soccer game Friday. 

Division-I Na Alii (2-1) took the lead just a few minutes into the match and had a commanding 8-0 lead by halftime against the Division-II Golden Hawks (0-3). 

Despite the lopsided score, Aiea coach Qaylan Malama was largely dismayed by his team's first-half showing. 

"I expected more, not as far as the score line, (but) I expected a little bit more style of play. I wanted to execute a certain style of play and in the first half we completely failed," Malama expressed. "The second half, we were very successful. I think we only scored one or two goals in the second half, but I wasn't looking for anymore goals. After the fourth or the fifth goal, I didn't want anymore goals."

With his team coming off of a physical 4-1 loss at Mililani Tuesday night and without three starters for Friday's match in Kelly Takara, Skye Ventura-Kahookele and Reicin Crisostomo, Malama said it important to come away unscathed against Nanakuli.

"I kind of wanted the boys to rest because a lot of the boys got beaten up in the Mililani game and I wanted this game to kind of move the ball around and do less working on our part and we were very successful, especially in the second half," he said. 

That meant keeping the ball on the ground rather than a more direct style of play.

"Playing out of the back," Malama explained. "Starting the ball with the goalkeeper and getting the ball into the opponents' half with using certain passes and in the second half, like I said, we were very successful and in the first half we failed; we scored lots of goals and I wasn't looking for goals."

But goals there were a-plenty. 

Stuart Nakahara got things started in just the second minute, when he put away a deflection off of Nanakuli goalkeeper Darryl Hoapili, who saved an initial Aiea shot on goal. In the 11th minute, Rycin Crisostomo sent a cross to Stephens, who put away a one-timer into the right side of the goal. A few minutes later, Konner Jacang played a corner kick short to Sye Sandobal. He passed it back to Jacang, who fired a left-footed shot from about 28 yards out through the hands of Hoapili and into the top left corner of the frame to make it a 3-0 lead. 

Aiea doubled up its lead in a three-minute stretch about halfway through the first half. Sandobal's corner kick in the 20th minute found Stephens in the box, who headed it into the left side of the goal. Two minutes later, Crisostomo put away his first of two goals and not long after that, Nakahara netted his second goal of the night. 

After a Nanakuli foul in the box, Bryson Ranit converted the ensuing penalty kick for Aiea in the 27th minute to make it a 7-0 lead. In the 32nd minute, Marchelle Pleasant drew another foul on the visitors that led to a PK, which he made good on for an eighth goal before the intermission. 

Bryson Boyea-Quiton got into the scoring action two minutes into the second half with his first goal of the season before Crisostomo scored again three minutes later, off an assist from Stephens. 

Stephens, who started in place of Ventura-Kahookele at attacking center-mid Friday, closed out the scoring with his third goal of the night in the 60th minute. 

Malama was critical of the junior and first-year varsity player. 

"He has lots of work (to do)," he said of Stephens. "His movement and his timing of his movement and the technical part of game he definitely needs a lot of work. I mean, yeah, he did score goals, but against Mililani it wouldn't even be one — he wouldn't even touch the ball — so he has a lot to work on."

Ventura-Kahookele and Takara, who plays up top as a striker, combined for 17 goals two years ago, when Aiea went 6-8-1 overall and reached the semifinals of the D2 state tournament. Reicin Crisostomo, who plays a key role defensively as a center-back, was also a member of the 2019-'20 Na Alii squad that captured the program's third OIA championship and first since 1993. 

Malama's team got a late start this winter, however. 

"We only started practice in December and I know most schools, pretty much every school on Oahu started before December," he said. "We had no scrimmages — and I didn't want any — so before the Campbell game I think we trained for three weeks, that's it — no scrimmages, nothing — so everything's going to plan for me, except that four-one loss to Mililani."

The loss to the Trojans still lingered in the mind of Malama, even after the win over Nanakuli. 

"I mean, it was unfortunate that we lost to Mililani. I really wanted to win that game," he said. "I didn't want to try and be competitive and hang in there with them, I wanted to beat them and that wasn't the case, we lost four-one, and we move on; we just move on to the next match."

The next match for both teams is Tuesday. Na Alii will visit Leilehua (1-2), while the Golden Hawks will host Waipahu (1-2). 

Malama tipped his cap to Nanakuli after Friday's result. 

"I respect Nanakuli, they have big hearts and they come to battle," Malama said. "Whatever it is — if it's their bowling team, their dart team, or their soccer team — they go for it and I have much respect for Nanakuli."

Hoapili registered four saves in goal for the Golden Hawks.