Penalty kicks can wait for the playoffs.

For now, the Kapolei and Mililani boys soccer teams can continue to debate who rules the OIA.

Kapolei (3-0-1) and Mililani (4-0-1) tied 1-1 at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium on Tuesday night, keeping the Trojans atop the OIA Red West standings.

Even though they played to a standoff, not all of the boys left feeling like winners. Each side wanted to assert itself as the team to beat in the rivalry, now they are left to wait for a future date.

"We wanted to win," Mililani head coach Jeff Yamamoto said. "We didn’t want to get the tie. I think Kapolei came out harder in the first half and we didn’t match their passion until the second half."

Kapolei sophomore striker Keo Ponce didn’t take long to put Mililani in a position it had never been in before, as neither team had been scored on so far in the OIA season. Ponce got a run down the left sideline 5 minutes into the game, blasting a shot from well outside the box that picked up speed as it went, eluding Mililani goalkeeper Tyler Wilson’s diving attempt. Kapolei coach Bryce Kaneshiro says Ponce has the freedom to shoot anytime he sees something, and Mililani’s head man was just as impressed.

"That was a good shot," Yamamoto said. "I don’t think we were ready for that one."

The Hurricanes didn’t sit on the lead, though, keeping the pressure on but being rebuffed by Mililani’s suddenly inspired defense. The Trojans countered 2½ minutes later, but Renato Torquato’s shot dented the post and bounced out.

Mililani’s Ryan Tokunaga paid Kapolei back 15 minutes into the second half, getting a centering pass off a good run by Jake Sagami. Sagami worked the ball into the corner and somehow blistered the ball through the chaos, where Tokunaga was waiting to boot it in from two yards out.

Mililani played a man down in the second half when Andrew Momohara took down Ponce 30 minutes after the break. Kapolei tried to turn up the offense with the advantage, but Mililani stopped it at every turn.

"We tried to be more offensive after that, but Mililani has a good defense," Kaneshiro said. "We wanted to score, but it’s not a loss. We just can’t afford to slip up the rest of the way."

Either Mililani or Kapolei has won the OIA every year since 2001, when Pearl City ruled. Kapolei won in 2007 and last year while Mililani had dynasties from 2002 to 2006 and 2008 to 2010. Kapolei stopped Mililani’s run last year with a 1-0 win after two overtimes and penalty kicks in the semifinals of the OIA playoffs before beating Kaiser for the title.

In Tuesday’s girls match, Mililani remained undefeated with a 2-1 win over Kapolei on a pair of goals by Brittney Giddeon. Bianca Gonzalez scored for the Hurricanes.