Kamehameha won the battle with sister school Kamehameha-Maui on Friday.
Next up for Kamehameha is a matchup with an ILH rival in a rematch of last year’s state final.
Ionare Vee scored in the 44th minute and Marley Espiau found the back of the net in the 70th as No. 1 seed Kamehameha beat No. 4 seed Kamehameha-Maui 2-0 in the Division I semifinals of the Motiv8 Foundation/HHSAA Girls Soccer Championships at Pearl City.
Kamehameha (10-0-2) will face Punahou for the title today at 7 p.m. at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.
“I think we’re all out for blood at this point,” Espiau said. “It’s who wants it the most and I think we’re definitely ready for it.”
Kamehameha, the three-time defending champion, won last year’s state title game over Punahou 1-0 (3-1 PKs).
This season, Kamehameha and Punahou tied twice during the regular season, and the Warriors won a playoff 2-0.
“Hopefully it’s another good match,” Kamehameha coach Missy Moore said. “We’re just going to go at it and play as hard as we can.”
Both schools have won 11 girls state titles.
>> PHOTOS: State soccer semifinals
Kamehameha, the ILH champion, made it 1-0 after Saraya Burghardt received a pass from the right side near the goal line and had her shot blocked by Kamehameha-Maui goalkeeper La Hikina Artates.
With the ball bouncing around, a defender knocked down Burghardt and Artates, which freed up Vee for the tap-in.
“It was just really chaotic and I was just focusing on following the ball and getting that loose ball,” Vee said.
Moore said of Vee: “That’s just pure grit and pure determination to just hunt down the ball and do whatever she has to do to put the ball in the back of the net. That’s her.”
Espiau’s goal came on a header off a corner kick from Nikki Mau. All five of Espiau’s goals this season have been on headers.
“I had to be a difference-maker in that moment and I’m happy my teammates had my back and I finished it for them,” Espiau said.
Both teams had chances to score in an action-packed first half.
Kamehameha’s Burghardt had shots go off the post in the 15th and 20th minutes.
Kamehameha-Maui, the MIL champion, nearly scored in the 21st when Ellie Kapuaala got behind the defense after receiving a through ball from Lilinoe Kehano, but Kamehameha goalkeeper Marley Roe smothered the ball before she could get off a shot.
“It’s one of the best games that they’ve had, one of the hardest games they’ve had,” Kamehameha-Maui assistant coach Cody Felipe said. “Kapalama came out to play. They put away the opportunities that they had.”
Kamehameha-Maui (10-2-3) will play Mililani for third place today at 3 p.m. at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex Field No. 15.
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Motiv8 Foundation/HHSAA Girls Division I Championships
Semifinals
Punahou 1, Mililani 0
Goal scorers—Pun: Dalen Lau.
Kamehameha 2, Kamehameha-Maui 0
Goal scorers—KS: Ionare Vee, Marley Espiau.
Fifth-place semifinals
Campbell 2, Moanalua 1, PK
Goal-Scorers—Camp: Jezarae Teixeira. Moa: Rylie Echavaria
King Kekaulike 3, Waiakea 1
Goal-Scorers—KK: Ruby Kessler 2, Kaelynn Andrade. Waik: Charlie Silva.
