The Leilehua girls soccer team sure made quite a recovery this season.

The Mules started the year 0-3, including two forfeits, but last night they became Oahu Interscholastic Association White Conference tournament champions after beating Kalaheo 1-0 (4-2 penalty kicks).

It was the first OIA girls soccer title for Leilehua.

"We had a never-give-up attitude. One heart," said Matthew Smithe, the Leilehua coach since 1982. "They went right through it and never gave up at all. They fought and fought and fought, and that’s what we had to do."

The Mules forfeited two early victories because they used an ineligible player.

"We went through big adversity — two forfeits — but we knew we could take it," said Leilehua sophomore Kristen Tainatongo.

The game at Roosevelt went to the shootout after 80 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute sudden-death overtimes.

Leilehua’s Aubrey Ohara, Roseanne Dumlao, Rachel Tenbroeke and Tainatongo made their penalty kicks.

Of her game-winning shot to the right of the Kalaheo goalkeeper, Tainatongo added: "It was amazing. I could’ve hit it harder, but I’m glad it went in."

Kalaheo’s Marissa Speakman and Kamele Kahanu made their penalty shots, but the third shooter was denied by goalkeeper Tatiana Alailima and the fourth shooter sent one over the crossbar.

"Penalty kicks have never been my favorite. My teams don’t have a good record with that," said Kalaheo coach Alan Heu.

Leilehua controlled play in the first half, but Kalaheo turned things around in the second.

In the third minute, the Mules’ Jessica Misajon had a shot from inside the box go off the left post after the Mustangs couldn’t clear a corner kick.

In the 16th minute, Leilehua’s Dumlao received a through ball behind the Kalaheo defense, but her shot from 5 yards out went wide left.

Dumlao had another scoring opportunity in the 59th when she controlled the ball just in front of the goal, but her sliding shot went wide left.

"Extremely frustrating," said Alailima. "They were so close to the goal but didn’t quite make it."

Kalaheo’s best scoring chance came in the 67th minute when Jordyn Rey’s header on goal was cleared by Leilehua midfielder Tainatongo just in front of the left post.

Leilehua had a golden opportunity to score 3 minutes into the first overtime when a rebound went to a Mules forward just in front of the right post, but her wide-open shot went wide right.

In the second overtime, Kalaheo almost got a gift goal when Monique Ishikawa’s high free kick from 30 yards was dropped by the Mules keeper and rolled behind her and traveled just in front of the left post.

"We struggled in the first half. I think we were a little nervous," Heu said. "We rallied, came back and put the pressure on them in the second half, but just weren’t able to get it done."

Leilehua, Kalaheo, Waipahu and Radford will represent the OIA in the state Division II tournamentstarting Wednesday at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex.