Kaiser’s Kaile Halvorsen completes her journey to become soccer Player of the Year

Kaile Halvorsen’s path to the top of the heap was circuitous, but highly rewarding.

A senior striker, Halvorsen was a tremendous talent when she broke in as a freshman with Punahou. A knee injury and a transfer later, she settled in to become the leading goal scorer in her second season with Kaiser this year, and coaches from around the state have voted her as the 2018 Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s player of the year.

Using her speed and nose for scoring, Halvorsen was a major force in leading the Cougars to new heights, including a spot in the OIA championship game and a climb to the Division I state semifinal that ended in a 2-1 PK loss to Pearl City. She scored Kaiser’s only goal in that one.

“Kaile meant a great deal to the team,” Cougars first-year coach Noe Bio said. “She led by example and always rose to the occasion. Her teammates relied on her leadership and instruction when the going got tough in the playoffs. She’s the coach on the field, so when she saw that something wasn’t working — whether it be a bad pass or a poor decision-making situation — she would always be the one to speak up and try to get the others to make the adjustment. Without her leadership, we would not have made it as far as we did.”

Halvorsen finished with 31 goals and added 10 (approximate, according to the coach) assists.

“She has a genuine love for scoring goals, I mean who doesn’t,” the coach added, “but when she’s on the pitch, she has the natural ability to always find the back of the net. Her separation speed is what makes her unique. She’s not only quick, but she’s strong too, so when she breaks free from the defender, there’s no stopping her.”

In 2015 as a ninth-grader, Halvorsen was chosen to the Star-Advertiser’s second team. She barely missed making the second team as a sophomore and did not get any votes as a junior.

State Division I champion ‘Iolani and runner-up Pearl City are well represented on the All-State first team. Two Raiders sophomores — forward Mia Watanabe and defender Kelsey Wong — got more than one vote for player of the year and made the first team. Watanabe, a repeat first-team selection, scored four goals in three games in the state tourney, including the game-winner in a 1-0 victory over the Chargers in the final.

“Kelsey Wong is, hands down, the best defender in the state,” said ‘Iolani coach Kristin Masunaga, who was named as coach of the year for the second straight time. “Under her leadership, she shut down (some of the best forwards). She’s a very smart and composed player with exceptional leadership qualities. She’s very humble and respected by everyone.”

Sophomore ‘Iolani midfielders Kelsey Takahashi and Sierra Wheeler also earned top-team honors.

“They are both very skilled, have great instincts, and control the middle of the field for us,” Masunaga said. “Both suffered injuries and we struggled when they were unable to suit up.”

Daelenn Tokunaga, a high-scoring forward, was chosen to the All-State first team for the third straight year, and she joins goalkeeper Naomi Takata as Pearl City’s two first-team selections. The Chargers’ Sunshine Fontes, a junior who was the player of the year in 2016 and made the first team in 2017, dropped to honorable mention. She missed half the season due to a national team commitment, according to coach Frank Baumholtz III.

A goal-scoring and play-making force for ILH champion Kamehameha, junior D’Awncey Jones-Black easily made it on to the first team, joining sophomore teammate Tausani Tavale, a shut-down fullback. Two senior defenders from OIA champion Mililani round out the first team — Karlin Wurlitzer, a repeat selection, and Jodi Lillie.

Girls All-State Soccer by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd