There’s now a clear front-runner for “game of the tournament” distinction in the 2016 Stanford Carr Development/HHSAA Water Polo State Championships.
Roosevelt and Lahainaluna, two stylistically disparate yet evenly matched squads, battled to overtime, then to sudden death in Thursday’s first quarterfinal at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex. In the end — after both teams saw key players disqualified because of repeated fouls — the Rough Riders prevailed 10-9 on Rayna Miranda’s power-play instant winner from about 2 meters.
“We know what it’s like to lose,” said Miranda of the OIA runners-up. “We’ve been there. We didn’t want to go back there again.”
Roosevelt (16-1) won the ball at center pool, then circulated the ball effectively once Laura Young earned a man-up situation. Miranda (team-high three scores) up-faked with the ball in space, took her time and scored cleanly.
“The past man-ups that we had, they always left the bottom wings open for some reason,” Miranda said. “I was that person that time. So I was like, ‘I guess this is the shot I have to take. It’s now or never.’ ”
It was the first possession of sudden death. The MIL-champion Lunas and their big gun, Lalelei Mataafa (six goals), did not get a chance to respond.
To get there, Roosevelt needed a desperation tying goal in the second three-minute overtime period. They got one on a perfectly placed high-arcing lob shot from Sarah Yasuda on a man-up situation with about 20 seconds left.
Not bad for a team that’s had several players under the weather, including Yasuda.
“I saw the angle,” Yasuda said of her signature shot between coughs. “(After I released it) my heart kind of stopped for a second, because I wasn’t sure if I should’ve taken that. But we were running out of time.”
Roosevelt advanced to face eight-time defending champion Punahou in today’s first semifinal at 5:15 p.m. The Buffanblu have never lost a state tournament game at 30-0.
It is Roosevelt’s first trip to the semifinals since 2009. The Rough Riders are one of two teams, along with OIA champ Kahuku, to participate in all 13 years of state water polo.
“Very emotional, very emotional,” longtime Roosevelt coach Susan Nishioka said of surviving the battle, which saw key starter Taylor Brooks sent off for good late in regulation with her third ejection. “So not a good time, but the rest of the team kept it together, and everybody pulled through in there.
“We haven’t had a sudden-death (game) in years. I can’t even remember the last time we had one.”
The Lunas made up a three-goal deficit heading into the fourth quarter behind the senior Mataafa, who power-bounced two shots into the net, then assisted on a score to Nikki Zamani. Mataafa rocketed in her last goal to put her team up 9-8 early in the second OT.
It was the third straight year Lahainaluna got the MIL’s seeded berth but could not advance to the semifinals.
“Tough loss. The team battled back from being down three and had the momentum,” Lunas coach Bradley Mason said. “Going up one, they get it back. Go up one, they get it back. We end with a couple of ejections that kind of cost us.”
At the other end, Roosevelt tried to play Mataafa physically, double-teamed when they could and generally tried to keep a hand up. It was just enough.
“It was a great season all around,” Mason said. “The girls had a lot of fun, they played hard all season. We had a lot of success. We can’t let one game … take away from the great season they had.”
Punahou 18, Kaiser 4
Saki Migiliorato scored five goals and Micaela Kauhane added three as the Buffanblu beat up the Cougars.
The ILH champions led 8-0 after the first quarter before being held scoreless in the second quarter.
Kamehameha 14, KS-Hawaii 6
Payton Bosque and Kaylen Nitahara had hat tricks as Kamehameha won the battle of the Warriors.
Kamehameha broke open a close match with a 3-0 edge in the third quarter.
Kahuku 9, Baldwin 5
India Pyzel scored four goals and five others scored one each as the Red Raiders put away the Bears.
Kendra Bean and Rebecca Buenrostro Gallimore scored two goals each for Baldwin.
