The Pac-5 girls varsity soccer teams trademarks all season were a stingy defense and solid ball control. That deliberate style paid off as the Wolfpack won their second HHSAA Division II Girls State Soccer Championship by defeating Kapaa HS 1-0 (4-2 on penalty kicks) on February 7th at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium. Pac-5 also won the inaugural division II title in 2007.
Pac-5 went through the regular season gauntlet of ILH games with a 4-6-2 record. Throughout the season, the team had trouble putting the ball in the net, but also played well defensively and kept their opponents from scoring very much either. Despite the loss of two starters to season-ending injuries, the possibility of post-season success was evident as the Wolfpack tied eventual division I state champion Punahou, denying the Buffanblu the ILH division I title.
Entering the state championships as the third seed, Pac-5 won their first round game with Hawaii Preparatory Academy 2-1. In the semi-finals they defeated Kauai HS 1-0, scoring on a header off of a corner kick by HBA's Christine Tamamoto in the 76th minute (of the 80 minute game).
In the championship final, the Wolfpack controlled tempo and kept the ball on the attacking side of the field for most of the game. The bigger and more physical Kapaa Warriors battled to a 0-0 tie, though, and the game remained scoreless through two 4-minute overtime periods.
In the penalty kick shootout, Pac-5 made four of its five kicks with Tamamoto making her kick to lead off. Kapaa made just two of its four (the final attempt was not necessary). When Wolfpack goalkeeper Geena Fong put in her attempt to clinch the title, the players raced to her and piled on in celebration.
HBA members of the team are seniors Christine Tamamoto and Erin Moriki, juniors Cera Oliveira and Michelle Chinen and sophomores Ashley Haruki, Rebecca Yonashiro and Rachel Yonashiro. Tamamoto and Oliveira were named to the all-tournament team. Tamamoto, an ILH and state all-star midfielder last season, also was chosen as the OC16 Television Impact Player of the Game for her performance in the final. Tamamoto, Oliveira, Moriki, Haruki and Rebecca Yonashiro were regular starters.
Congratulation to our HBA girls and to the Pac-5 girls soccer program!
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