Whenever Kalani and Kaiser get together for a soccer match, every inch given up is done begrudgingly.
It was that kind of night Thursday in the OIA Division I boys semifinals, and both schools were fortunate to strike in the regulation 80 minutes at the Kapolei High field.
Then, with 35 seconds left in the second overtime, Travis Brubaker gave the Falcons a 2-1 victory over the Cougars to advance to Saturday’s league championship match against host Kapolei.
Brubaker’s winning goal — a header off of Ethan Senter’s free kick — snuck just inside the left post.
“I was honestly preparing for (penalty kicks), putting my ducks in a row for that,” Kalani first-year head coach Brandon Chun said. “Travis made a phenomenal header at the end.”
>> Photo Gallery: OIA boys soccer semifinals: Kaiser vs. Kalani
The Falcons (11-1-1), who had an edge in field position and scoring chances throughout, broke through for a 1-0 lead just 15 seconds before halftime. A chipped free kick by Brubaker was headed by Naruhito Yoshikawa toward the goal and the ball then bounced off a Kaiser defender and in.
The Cougars (10-1-1) appeared to be headed to that one-goal loss, but, with 19 seconds left in regulation, they were saved by the foot of Ian Ngonethong, who drilled a shot from 25 yards out that hit the top right side of the crossbar and caromed into the high corner.
“We always seem to pick the big game to not play well,” Kaiser coach Layne Abalos said. “In the first half, we were a mess, no heart. We came out on fire in the second half. But our Achilles’ heel is free kicks. We let in one goal (during the regular season) and it was a corner kick. Every time there’s a free kick, I hold my breath. On the winning goal, our guy that was marking him (Brubaker) got stepped on by his teammate and fell.”
In the regular-season matchup between the two teams, Kalani and Kaiser fought to a 1-1 tie. But it was the Cougars who got a bye into the first round of the playoffs due to a first-place OIA East finish. Both teams are among six from the OIA who have qualified for the D-I state tournament, Feb. 10-15.
“After we let up a late goal, one where you have to tip your hat to him (Ngonethong) for an amazing shot, we really had to rally the boys and pick their heads up,” Kalani’s Chun said. “We’ve been emphasizing set pieces the whole week. Sure enough, the boys stepped up. It was all them.”
In the first half, the Falcons’ Senter and Jenson Fuse both barely missed golden, in-close chances with shots that were a bit too high. Kaiser’s best chance in the first 40 minutes — Ngonethong’s low drive on Kyler Halvorson’s cross — was thwarted by Kalani goalkeeper Yuito Mori.
Early in the second overtime period, Cougars goalkeeper Kai Nishibun was there to corral a blistering attempt by Kalani’s Lucas Wright after Wright dribbled past a handful of defenders en route from midfield to just outside the penalty area.
Due to the loss, Kaiser faces Kalaheo in the league’s third-place match tonight.
The Falcons are going for their third OIA title to go with the championships they won in 2016 and ’18.
Kapolei 2, Kalaheo 0
Elijah Hines and Kawika Kelii scored in the first half for the defending OIA champion Hurricanes (11-0-1) in the victory over the Mustangs (10-2) to put them in the league final against Kalani at home Saturday night.
Kapolei is going or a fifth overall OIA D-I championship and, like Kalaheo, will be preparing for the upcoming state tournament. The Mustangs won the league D-II title a year ago before moving up a division this year.
