Baldwin Boys to Face Familiar Foe in Kapolei Today

By Rodney S. Yap

Maui Interscholastic League champion Baldwin will play a familiar foe in Oahu Interscholastic Association runner-up Kapolei today at 1 p.m. in the first of four quarterfinals matches of the Outrigger Hotels & Resorts/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Boys Soccer Championships at Waipi’o Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

It was Kapolei that defeated Baldwin, 2-1, in penalty-kick overtime (4-2) at last year’s quarterfinals of the state soccer tournament. The outcome and memory of last year’s defeat resurfaced Wednesday as the Bears (11-3) watched unseeded Kapolei advanced by finishing off Moanalua, 2-0, in the first-round of the 12-team Division I tournament. Reynaldo Arellano scored in the 20th minute and Archie Ryales added another goal 12 minutes later to account for the Hurricanes’ goals.

“We watched them play, so we’re familiar with what they do,” said Baldwin head coach Kane Palazzatto. “There a tough team. They’re No. 2 in the OIA for a reason and we expect them to be tough. But I like our match-ups. I think offensively we’re a little better than we were last year, and I like our chances defensively, too. We played well defensively in our last couple of outings and the boys have really come around.”

In addition, Palazzatto said his team is playing with a fresh confidence — or perhaps a chip on their shoulder.

“The boys are confident. There’s still that funny taste in their mouths from last year,” Palazzatto said.  “Losing in penalty kicks really left a bad taste in our mouths. The guys want to prove to themselves that they are a better team.

“We play at 1 o’clock, but we kind of knew that we would in following the girls tournament and when they had to play. So we’re prepared to play at mid day, yesterday we trained at 1 o’clock to get acclimated. There’s not going to be any excuses. We’re ready to play.”

Meanwhile, MIL runner-up Lahainaluna was sent to the consolation bracket after falling short 3-1 to Pearl City. Tyler Terashima and George Georgiev knocked home goals in a two-minute span midway through the first half to help the Chargers take a 2-0 lead. The Lunas’ Christian Cardenas-Ayala trimmed the lead in half with a goal in the 50th minute after the Chargers’ Christian Nakabayashi sealed the win with an insurance goal in the 70th minute.

Lahainaluna dropped to 10-4-1 and will face Aiea in a consolation bracket game at 1 p.m., the same time Baldwin plays, but the Lunas’ game will be outside the stadium at Field 7.

Pearl City (11-4) will face top-seeded and OIA champion Mililani (12-0-1) today at 5 p.m.

In other first-round matches yesterday, Iolani defeated Aiea, 1-0, and Kalani exploded for four goals in the second half to rout Waiakea, 4-0. The Falcons, who finished third in the Oahu Interscholastic Association, improved to 13-1 in the regular and postseason and will face No. 2-seeded Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Punahou (8-2) in tonight’s 7 o’clock quarterfinal. Meanwhile, ILH runner-up Raiders (8-1-2) advanced to face No. 4 seed and BIIF champion Kealakehe in today’s 3 p.m. quarterfinal.

The Big Island Interscholastic Federation Warriors fell to 9-6-1 and into today’s other 1 p.m. consolation bracket game against Moanalua (9-4-2).

ILH runner-up Raiders (8-1-2) advanced to face No. 4 seed and BIIF champion Kealakehe in today’s 3 p.m. quarterfinal.

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In the eight-team Division II tournament, MIL champion Seabury Hall (4-8-2) is seeded fourth and will play Mid-Pacific (1-7-2) in the quarterfinals today. The Owls are a two-time D-II state champion, winning their titles in 2008 and 2010.

Defending D-II champion Honokaa is the top seed, followed by Kauai champion Kapaa, OIA champion Kahuku and Seabury.

Semifinals for both tournaments are Friday.

The championship games in both divisions are played at Waipio Soccer Stadium. The Division I tournament is set for 7 p.m., following the Division II tournament, which starts at 5 p.m.

DIVISION I

Wednesday First Round Results

Match #1: Pearl City 3, Lahainaluna 1

Match #2: Iolani 1, Aiea 0

Match #3: Kalani 4, Waiakea 0

Match #4: Kapolei 2, Moanalua 0

Today

Consolation bracket

(both games at 1 p.m.)

Match #5: Lahainaluna vs. Aiea, Field 7

Match #6: Waiakea vs. Moanalua, Field 8

Quarterfinals

(all games at Main Stadium)

Match #7: No. 3 Baldwin vs. Kapolei, 1 p.m.

Match #8: No. 4 Kealakehe vs. Iolani, 3 p.m.

Match #9: No. 1 Mililani vs. Pearl City, 5 p.m.

Match #10: No. 2 Punahou vs. Kalani, 7 p.m.