Up by a goal in the waning minutes, Pearl City somehow staved off a frenzied attack Thursday to preserve a 2-1 upset victory over second-seeded Mililani in the Division I quarterfinals of the Queen’s Medical Center/HHSAA Girls Soccer State Championships.
The flurry of chances by the Trojans had Chargers coach Frank Baumholtz III in a panic.
“If you were standing next to me, I would have grabbed your heart and put it there (in his chest) for support,” Baumholtz said after what was a thrilling win for Pearl City.
And he had good reason for the worry. Within the last eight minutes, Mililani buzzed for excellent opportunities on four occasions. With a breakaway down the left wing, Kailee Wilson had the Trojans’ best chance at tying it, but her low, hard shot was picked off by diving Chargers goalkeeper Jo-Zayah Iriate.
>> Photo Gallery: Girls soccer: Pearl City vs. Mililani
“I had lots of adrenaline,” Wilson said. “She made a really good save, but I should have put that away, though. (The loss) sucks a lot, especially for the seniors who are out here for the last time.”
Said Iriate about her huge save: “I just had to block it.”
A few minutes later, the Trojans’ Aubrey Dunaway looked certain to get the equalizer, but her line drive from just outside the penalty area ricocheted off the crossbar.
Kaila Takai scored the game-winner for the Chargers in the 43rd minute, heading home Tristyn Tanaka’s corner kick.
“I was thinking, go full for it,” Takai said. “Just get it in. It was a perfect ball from Tristyn and I was in the right place at the right time.”
With the victory over the OIA champion Trojans (12-2), unseeded Pearl City (12-3-1) — the fifth-place finisher in the OIA — locked up a spot in tonight’s semifinals against third-seeded MIL champion King Kekaulike.
“I told the team before the game, we’re not supposed to be here,” Baumholtz said. “We’re No. 5. But it’s our game. We gotta go out and take it to ’em.”
It almost wasn’t the Chargers’ game.
In the 18th minute, the Trojans’ Jacey Jicha slammed home a corner kick by Meagan Tamashiro for a 1-0 lead.
“When they scored the first goal, you could see our mental picture change,” Baumholtz said. “We started guarding harder, bumping more, fighting for the ball. Those are all the things we had to do.”
Pearl City tied at 1-all in the 33rd minute, when Soraya Santos took a lead pass from Tanaka and deposited a low shot through Mililani goalkeeper Sydni Nakamura’s legs.
“Pearl City definitely brought it to us and we didn’t have an answer,” Trojans coach Darren Smith said. “They played fantastic. We tried to fight back at the end, but it was too little, too late.”
King Kekaulike 1, Punahou 0
In a major breakthrough by Na Alii against the Buffanblu, Kaehukai Kaaihue scored the game-winner in the 79th minute on a penalty kick to break a scoreless tie.
King Kekaulike (10-0-1), the tournament’s third seed and the MIL champion, advanced to tonight’s semifinals against Pearl City and is out to gain the school’s first state championship.
The unseeded Buffanblu (8-1-3) were foiled in their attempt to earn their first state crown since 2011.
Konawaena 1, Moanalua 0
Zane Garrigan’s dramatic goal in the 78th minute pushed the Wildcats past Na Menehune and into tonight’s semifinals against defending champion Kamehameha.
Fourth-seeded Konawaena (14-1), the BIIF champion, is pushing for its first state title.
Kamehameha 1, Kamehameha-Maui 0
The defending champion Warriors got back into the semifinals by beating their sister school from the Valley Isle.
Kalia Kalua had the game’s only goal for top-seeded Kamehameha (9-0-2), which will meet fourth-seeded BIIF champ Konawaena tonight.
The best chance from Kamehameha-Maui (8-2-2) — a 30-yard, line-drive, stomach-high, tricky tester by Brynn Rodrigues — was corralled by Kamehameha goalkeeper Marley Roe.
Division II
Hawaii Prep 6, Waimea 0
Isabella Police scored twice and Kahala Erskine, Makana Blake, Alianna West and Malia Brost added one each for top-seeded Ka Makani (12-1) as they take aim at a seventh consecutive trophy. They take on KIF runner-up Kapaa in the semis.
Kauai 12, Waianae 0
Brianna Ehia, Eryka Napoleon and Kaleonahe Bukoski scored two goals apiece for the second-seeded Red Raiders (12-0) in the shutout of the Seariders (3-12), who were eliminated from championship contention.
Kapaa 2, Kalaheo 0
Naia Burkhart and Kalista Brigante scored second-half goals for the Warriors (9-4-1), who earned the right to take on powerhouse Hawaii Prep today.
The fourth-seeded Mustangs (4-8) were eliminated from the title chase.
Mid-Pacific 4, Kamehameha-Hawaii 2
Mackenzie Nitta scored two goals to lead the third-seeded Owls (7-4) over last year’s runner-up Warriors (6-6-2).
