Monday Morning MIL: Kamehameha Maui girls soccer closing in on league title, state tournament

The Kamehameha Schools Maui girls soccer team has come a few games shy of a state title in the last four tournaments. This year, with an undefeated Maui Interscholastic League record and a tie against the same O’ahu team that eliminated them at states the last four times, they’re chasing a different ending.

The Warriors closed in on a third straight MIL Division I title with a convincing 4-0 win over King Kekaulike on Saturday at Kana’iaupuni Stadium.

The Warriors are 6-0-0 in MIL play, good for 18 points in the standings — they have clinched at least second place and thus a berth in the Motiv8 Foundation/HHSAA state tournament Jan. 27 and Jan. 30-Feb. 1.

With three matches to play in its MIL season, Kamehameha Maui can clinch the MIL championship in their next match, against Baldwin (3-2-0) next Saturday.

“We’ve built a lot of chemistry and we worked really hard during our practices,” Kamehameha Maui senior forward Journey Hett said following Saturday’s victory. “And I feel like it shows when we play. And in this building, we take it step by step, game by game. We know our goals and we work every day towards our goals.”

Kulia Kapua’ala scored the first and fourth goals of the match for the Warriors, in the 33rd and 78th minutes. Hett scored the second goal in the 40th minute and Myla Tuitele scored the third goal in the 51st minute.

The Warriors have outscored their MIL opponents 23-3 this season after going 2-0-1 in non-league play, including a 1-1 tie with Kamehameha Kapālama, the defending state runner-up that is 7-0-0 and has outscored Interscholastic League of Honolulu foes 59-0 this season.

Kamehameha Kapālama has eliminated Kamehameha Maui in each of the last four state tournaments — 1-0 in last year’s quarterfinals, 2-0 in the 2023 semifinals, 4-1 in the 2022 quarterfinals, and (after there was no tournament in 2021 due to the pandemic) 1-0 in the 2020 quarterfinals.

“We had a really good preseason,” Kamehameha Maui coach Eli Joaquin said. “Kapālama, our sister school, we have never beaten them. They have got a great system over there, great coaching staff, great team. I think the reason that they came is because they knew we have a lot of talent, too.”

Joaquin said he told Kamehameha Kapālama coaches that he looks forward to a possible rematch at the 2025 state tournament.

“We lost the last (four) times and I’m not too happy about that,” Joaquin said. “I told them, ‘I hope we face each other. I tell you, we’re coming this time.’” 

The MIL is without Lahainaluna in girls Division I play this season due to lack of players, so the league season will end after nine matches per team rather that the normal 12.

“As far as the MIL, I’m saddened that Lahainaluna is out this year. … Kids moved out of Lahaina and they just couldn’t put enough together,” Joaquin said. “The island, in my opinion, is just really young in the soccer world. A lot of people don’t know, but we’re pretty young, too. I only start four seniors.”

The Warriors are certainly talented, with Seattle University signee Evalani Keawekane, a defender, adding to the mix with six other seniors.

“We just work hard every day, I’m one that takes one game at a time, I don’t underestimate anybody, no matter who we play,” Joaquin said. “We come out hungry every time and I think that’s the way to go.”

To help land more matches in the future, Joaquin is hopeful of starting and hosting a preseason tournament in 2025. He feels a state title is possible this season, which is his third with the program and his second as head coach.

“I really do believe that we have a really good chance this year,” Joaquin said. “We just have really good unity. They work well together, they’re pushing on and off the bench and I think that’s a big thing.” 

Kamehameha Maui’s Naia Kaulukukui, a junior midfielder, said the Warriors are building momentum.

“I feel like we’re doing really good,” Kaulukukui said. “We’re using these games as stepping stones to states and I just think that we’re in a really great spot.”

King Kekaulike coach Gundi Dancil is impressed with the Warriors. Na Ali’i (2-4-0 MIL) have 10 freshmen on their roster.

“They’ve got a good group of girls on that team,” Dancil said. “They capitalized on our mistakes that we committed. We had our opportunities, but just couldn’t finish.”

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FOOTBALL: Kamehameha Maui graduate Kapena Gushiken enters transfer portal

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Kamehameha Schools Maui graduate Kapena Gushiken announced on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday that he is leaving the Washington State University football team and entering the NCAA transfer portal. The defensive back was listed as a senior this season for the Cougars, who finished 8-5 after a 52-35 loss to Syracuse in the Holiday Bowl on Friday.

Gushiken said in his announcement that he would take advantage of a recent court ruling allowing players who played in junior college to not count those seasons against their NCAA eligibility clock of five years to play four seasons. Gushiken played the 2021 and 2022 seasons at Saddleback College in California. 

In 2023, he appeared in all 12 games for the Cougars, starting five. He totaled 36 tackles during the season, 16 solo and 20 assisted, had 1.5 tackles for loss and a total of five pass breakups. He also recorded a sack for a 9-yard loss and had a 88-yard interception return for a touchdown in the game against UCLA.

This year, he started all 13 games, had 52 tackles, 36 solo and 16 assisted, the fourth-highest total on the team. He also had 3.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions. 

HJI’s “Monday Morning MIL” columns appear weekly on Monday mornings with updates on local sports in the Maui Interscholastic League and elsewhere around Maui County. Please send column ideas — anything having to do with sports in Maui County — as well as results and photos to rob@hjinow.org.