The Punahou girls soccer team once again had a storybook ending in a matchup of Hawaii’s most storied programs.
Maya Yoshimura converted a penalty kick at 10:20 as Punahou pulled off a three-peat with a 1-0 victory over No. 1 seed Kamehameha in the final of the Motiv8 Foundation/HHSAA Division I state tournament Monday at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex.
“It’s unbelievable, the things this team has gone through, just the ups and downs of this season as a team and trying to figure it out together,” Punahou coach Shelley Izuno said. “It was tough. It was much more challenging than easy. To end up here is amazing.”
Punahou, the ILH runner-up, and Kamehameha, the ILH champion, played in the state tournament final for the fourth consecutive season.
Punahou has won 14 state championships, while Kamehameha has claimed 11.
Maliana Malaythong received a pass from Yoshimura, fought past a Warriors player in the box and was pulled down from behind while firing a shot that was blocked by Kamehameha goalkeeper Kailla Miller.
“I’m just super grateful for Maya,” Malaythong said. “She’s always causing trouble on the top with me. It was all Maya and creating those opportunities. We have a lot of speed up top, so we’re able to draw those kinds of opportunities.”
Yoshimura’s penalty kick went to the top right of the goal.
“I was honestly just trying to stay calm,” she said. “I was trying to focus on my composure for the most part. All the outside noises, you have to focus on your placement.”
It was Yoshimura’s fourth goal in four state tournament games.
The game was fast, physical and end-to-end.
Izuno and Kamehameha counterpart Missy Moore said play got too rough.
“It could have been a better game. It could have been a game that didn’t need to result in such physical play,” Moore said. “It could have been a game that was a nice possession-oriented game. The physicality of the game was too much. That’s not the way we should be playing soccer.”
She added high-caliber teams should be playing possession-oriented and with skills.
This year’s Buffanblu, who lost eight starters from last season, became the second Division I team to claim three consecutive championships since the state tournament was split into two divisions in 2007. Punahou also accomplished the feat from 2009 to 2011.
“It’s definitely amazing, this three-peat, coming in with a brand new team. Half our seniors left last year,” Punahou goalkeeper Xeyana Salanoa said. “We worked really hard during the season, it was a tough battle for us today.”
The Buffanblu (11-2) improved to 63-15 all-time in the state tournament, while the Warriors (10-2-0) fell to 52-10.
The Warriors applied pressure, which forced Salanoa to come off her line and retrieve balls. She finished with five saves.
“She showed up and was able to hold onto the ball. She did an excellent job,” Izuno said.
Kamehameha got close in the 18th when Kulia Montgomery’s header off a corner kick from Madison Sharrer went just wide right.
In the 35th, Punahou’s Kylie Tang fired a shot from 30 yards that went just left of the goal.
The Warriors’ Montgomery fired a shot on the run from the right side in the 48th that forced Salanoa to dive to her left to save.
In the 62nd, Mya Pasion received a through ball on the left side, moved in on goal one-on-one with Salanoa and sent a shot from a tough angle over the crossbar.
In the 72nd, the Buffanblu’s Malaythong fired a shot from 30 yards just wide right of the goal.
Kamehameha’s final scoring opportunities came in the 78th when Ionare Ve’e fired a shot that was saved by Salanoa, and in the 79th when Montgomery’s shot also was saved by the Buffanblu goalkeeper.
The Warriors had a corner kick with 20 seconds remaining but couldn’t get off a decent shot on goal.
“The fight is always good,” Moore said of her team. “I’m definitely proud of my team for always being in the game and always fighting, but we got to finish.”
Punahou and Kamehameha split during the ILH regular season. The Warriors won 1-0 on Dec. 23, and the Buffanblu triumphed 1-0 on Jan. 3.
The final day of the state tournament was played Monday after inclement weather forced the postponement of all D-I and D-II quarterfinal games Thursday. The third- and fifth-place games in both divisions scheduled for Monday were canceled.