Kamehameha’s Mya Pasion had a hat trick on Saturday, which gave the Warriors a shot to cap their season and settle the score with an ILH rival.
Pasion’s three goals and Shanti Ng’s one all came after halftime as No. 1 seed Kamehameha beat Waipahu 4-1 in the semifinals of the Motiv8 Foundation/HHSAA Girls Division I Soccer Tournament at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex.
“It was more us just trying to settle down and play into our own system instead of being reactionary to our opponent’s system,” Kamehameha coach Missy Moore said. “We just needed to settle down and get back into our possession-oriented system.”
Monday’s state tournament final will be a familiar matchup.
Kamehameha (10-1-0) and Punahou meet in the title game for the fourth consecutive season.
The Warriors won the 2022 state title and the Buffanblu claimed the championship in 2023 and 2024.
“The past two years were hard for us. We just have to give it our all,” Pasion said.
The Kamehameha girls soccer team turned it on in the second half.
In the process, the Warriors turned Monday’s state final into a familiar matchup.
Kamehameha is in its sixth consecutive state tournament final, also winning crowns in 2019 and 2020. There was no tournament in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“To be in the final again is so special,” Moore said. “Every year is special. I’m just so happy for this group.”
Punahou has won 13 state titles and Kamehameha has claimed 11.
Kamehameha went up 1-0 at 52:36 on Ng’s goal off a cross from Madison Sharrer. The ball arrived at Ng, who took a hard touch in the 6-yard box. The ball bounced off a Waipahu defender and back to Ng, who fired into the goal.
“I saw Maddie had the ball and I knew she was going to cross it in,” Ng said. “I just tried to be ready. The ball came to me and I didn’t trap it as well as I wanted to the first time and I knew that I had to find a way to get it in the back of the net.”
The Warriors went up 2-0 on Pasion’s goal at 55:47. Camryn Gouveia’s shot was spilled by Waipahu goalkeeper Zinn Kurose and Pasion knocked the ball in.
“I’ve actually scored a few goals like that during the season,” Pasion said. “Cammy had a touch and she looked at the goal, so I had to immediately crash the goal and luckily I was there.”
Pasion put Kamehameha, the ILH champion, ahead 3-0 on a penalty kick at 67:08. Pasion went to the spot after being knocked down in the penalty box.
“I definitely could have relaxed a little more when the whistle blew, but I’m glad it went it,” she said.
Pasion got the hat trick three minutes later after scoring on a rebound.
“I was able to get a foot on it and shoot far post,” Pasion said.
Waipahu (13-3-0) made it 4-1 at 71:13 on Anela Leslie’s goal off a rebound. Waipahu was the OIA West runner-up and the OIA tournament runner-up.
“I liked that we scored, though, and it wasn’t like they were subbing a lot,” Waipahu coach Brent Murakami said. “I loved that we were able to at least get one of them.”
The Marauders’ two all-time state tournament victories came this year.
“The only group that knew we had a chance to do something special was the 19 girls,” Murakami said.
“I don’t think anyone anticipated us to be this far this late in the season, and to be 0-0 with Kamehameaha at halftime in the semifinals.”