Kapaa stamped itself a Division II kingpin Saturday night.

The fourth-seeded, KIF champion Warriors held on to beat Saint Louis 1-0 in the final of The Queen’s Medical Center/HHSAA Boys Soccer Championships at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

It’s the third such title for the Garden Isle squad, which also did the trick in 2009 and ’13. Kapaa (12-1-1) also took it one step farther than a year ago, when it lost to Kamehameha-Hawaii in the final. Only one team statewide has more D-II crowns, Mid-Pacific with four.

“It’s been a long journey,” Kapaa center back Kiran Costa said. “We’ve been fighting for it the past couple of years. It’s a blessing to be here and win this. We’re all so stoked and living in and loving the moment.”

The second-seeded and ILH D-II champion Crusaders (10-3-2) have never won a state title and their runner-up finish matches their run that fell one match short in 2017.

Marking Skyler Goo, Saint Louis’ potent striker who will play for UNLV next season, was a big part of the game plan for Kapaa, and it was a smashing success. Goo didn’t have any glaring chances.

“We couldn’t do anything up forward,” Goo said. “The whole back line was on me and I couldn’t do anything. In the second half, we had chances and we kept pushing.”

According to Costa, the Kapaa defenders did not let Goo out of their sight.

“He (Goo) is unbelievable,” Costa said. “He’s an extremely fast and an extremely good player. He had us on our toes the whole time.”

Although the Warriors’ Ryan Banasihan didn’t score the winning goal, he made it possible in the 64th minute. He came streaking down the left wing, ready to unload a shot from a dangerous spot in the box, but Saint Louis’ Nicholas LaManna was whistled for knocking him down. Apparently, a hand ball in the box was also part of the play.

Up stepped La‘a Gonsalves, who drilled a shot into the low left corner for what turned out to be the final margin.

“That call was, yeah; that call was, yeah,” Crusaders coach Rick Sandry said, unable to say a negative word. “You can’t have a game without refs. I wish they didn’t affect the game, but hey Kapaa did good. They won. Congratulations, man.”

Warriors coach Kevin Cram thought it was a good call.

“They had two calls to choose from, so either one,” he said.

LaManna’s excellent chance to tie it up, when he dribbled close to the goal at the end line and unloaded a shot, was caught by Warriors goalkeeper Chysen Lagunes-Rapozo.

Saint Louis’ Micah Tupua and D’Sean Watson also had late in-close chances, but both shots went high.

The koa trophy is staying on the neighbor islands for another year after Kamehameha-Hawaii’s championship last year and Hawaii Prep’s two titles before that.

“I knew they had the potential to do well,” Cram said about his team. “I’m kind of a perfectionist and always want them to do better. Sometimes I forget to commend them for doing well. Tonight they did well.”