After regulation and overtime couldn’t decide it, Pearl City Chargers goalkeeper Naomi Takata dove to save a penalty kick by the Kaiser Cougars’ Taylin Park to secure the Chargers’ 2-1 victory and the right to move on to meet ‘Iolani in the Division I state final.
Takata made two saves in the penalty-kick tiebreaker session that the Chargers won 3-2. Daelenn Tokunaga gave Pearl City a 3-1 PK lead, but Kaiser’s Alyssa Gabriel scored to make it 3-2 before goalkeeper Madison Corso dove to stop a Reyann Lee shot to keep the Cougars temporarily alive.
Both teams had great chances to break the 1-1 tie in regulation and overtime, but it was the Chargers (16-1) who applied the most intense pressure. Pearl City’s Bree Fuller hit the crossbar and Caylie Uyema hit the post. At the other end, goalkeeper Naomi Takata robbed Kaiser’s Kayli Yoshioka.
In the first half, Kaile Halvorsen took a headed pass from Park and sent a low shot into the left corner for a 1-0 lead for Kaiser (14-4). Halvorsen missed high and to the right on a penalty-kick attempt late in the opening half after teammate Alyssa Leong was fouled in the box. Halvorsen, incidentally, also hit the post on a PK after overtime.
In the second minute of the second half, the Chargers tied it up 1-1 on Tokunaga’s goal.
Just before PKs, Takata batted a 30-yard guided-missile direct kick from Halvorsen harmlessly over the net.
Pearl City is going for a sixth state crown in tonight’s finale against the Raiders.
DIVISION I GLANCE
FRIDAY
Semifinals
>> ‘Iolani 1, Mililani 0
>> Pearl City 2, Kaiser 1, PK (3-2)
Fifth-place semifinals
>> Kamehameha 1, King Kekaulike 0
>> Hilo 3, Kamehameha-Maui 0
Goalscorers: KSK—Kaulana Kanno. HILO—Jordyn Pacheco, Miya Clarke, Kalamanamana Harman
SATURDAY
>> Fifth place: Kamehameha vs. Hilo, 3 p.m., field 7
>> Third place: Mililani vs. Kaiser, 3 p.m., field 8
>> Championship: ‘Iolani vs. Pearl City, 7 p.m., main stadium
