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Sat, Feb 12, 2022 @ Kapolei

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Campbell

0

Mililani

3

Final	1st	2nd	OT	2OT	PK	Tot
Campbell (11-4-1)	0	0	-	-	-	0
Mililani (15-1-0)	3	0	-	-	-	3

T. Oliveira (24’)   Own goal (21’)   M. Ige (23’)

KAPOLEI — Absence makes this one fonder for the Mililani Trojans. 

Two years after it reclaimed the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I title, the Mililani girls soccer team successfully retained its crown Saturday with a 3-0 win over Campbell at Kapolei's Alvin Nagasako Sports Complex. 

The third-ranked Trojans (13-0) captured their second league title under coach Darren Smith and their 19th overall OIA championship. 

"It shows that we're definitely doing something right," said Smith, whose team did all of its scoring in a four-minute stretch just past the midpoint of the first half. 

The eighth-ranked Sabers (10-2-1) had their three-game win streak come to an end. They were seeking their third league crown, second in D1 and first since 2015.

Mililani opened the scoring in the 21st minute with an own goal. Kiana Muratsuka started the play with a pass from the right side to Jade Alverio in the box. Alverio first a right-footed shot from about 10 yards out that deflected off of a Campbell defender and in for an own goal. 

Smith credited Alverio for her hustle that led to the go-ahead goal. 

"She busted her tail all night long; She was everywhere, so well-deserved on the the effort," he said. 

Alverio's effort ignited an offensive outburst for the Trojans. 

"I think the first goal really motivated every single player on the field," Ige said. "We were all very fired up once the first goal (went) in, so as the game kept going, I think we all wanted to score and keep scoring and keep the tide on their side the whole time."

Just two minutes after the Trojans got on the board, they doubled up their lead on a goal by Ige — her fourth of in her team's three OIA tournament games this week — that was set-up by an assist from Kailee Wilson.

Wilson passed a ball from the right side that went across the face of the goal — just out of the reach of Jaeda Edayan — and to Ige on the back post, who poked it into the back of the net with her right foot. 

"When (Wilson) was driving down the line — as a (midfielder) you kind of want to get into the box as well to be another option, so I was just running up there, wanting to be in the right place at the right time — and as the ball came across the goal, it did take a couple deflections, but yeah, I was just glad I was there at the right place at the right time," Ige said. "Even if the goal wasn't as spectacular, in the end a goal is a goal and it was a team effort."

Not long after play was restarted following Ige's goal, Mililani struck again. Muratsuka played a long service up to Tavena Oliveira. The speedster split a pair of defenders with one touch and then pushed the ball past Campbell's keeper and into the goal to make it a 3-0 lead just 24-plus minutes in. 

"She definitely brings a lot of energy in that sense, where she can just get down the line and make nice crosses; I think that was very key and her speed is a huge factor to this team," senior center-back Raine Komata said of Oliveira. "Just getting down the line, we just know when she's on that line, she's to the baseline and she's just gonna slot that thing and we just gotta get numbers in."

Just as they did in Thursday's 4-0 win over Pearl City in the tournament semifinals, the Trojans capitalized on their early scoring chances. 

"Yeah, they were hungry," Smith said." We knew that we needed to finish any opportunities that we had and they did just that and just maintained the pace, understood that, once again, Campbell's not gonna stop, so just trying to neutralize whatever threats they had and do what we did."

Much like the regular-season meeting between the teams — which Mililani won by a score of 3-1 — it scored all three of its goals during the run of play. Smith noted that the goal by Campbell — the only one allowed by Mililani all season long — was a source of motivation for Saturday's rematch. 

"It played out pretty similarly, but I think it was kind of a thorn in that side, we always thought about that one (goal) that we let in, so that was probably the focal point, just to make sure that we had that clean sheet as well," Smith said. 

The result was the 11th shutout this year for the Trojans, who have scored 86 goals through a baker's dozen games so far. 

"Defensively, I think we shut them down," Ige said. "They really only had a couple opportunities, but other than that the ball was basically on our half the whole time, but like I said before, I couldn't have done it without my team. Everyone back there was doing everything that they could to hold it down and they did and in the end we ended up getting the ‘dub, that's all that matters."

Mililani finished with eight shots on goal. Jordyn Labajo-Cleaver made two saves in 70-plus minutes of action before she was replaced to Taylor VanAntwerp due to an injury. 

The Sabers registered only two shots on goal, both of which were saved by Labajo-Cleaver. 

Kelli Canella made four saves in goal for Campbell, which was shutout for the first time this season. 

As elated as Smith was for his players to claim their second OIA championship in three years, he acknowledged that the first-round bye in the state tournament that comes with it is probably more important in the big picture. 

"Oh yeah, absolutely, that's huge," he said. "The state tournament stuff is always a marathon, a lot of times it's who has gas left in the tank at the end of the tournament, so that initial bye is huge."

Campbell was coming off of a 2-1 win in overtime over No. 5 Moanalua in Thursday's semifinals. 

Of the 10 goals that opponents have scored on the Sabers this season, six of them have been by Mililani.