Iolani's Kylee Kim-Bustillos scored the game's only goal against Kamehameha. Evan Asato | SL

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Kamehameha's Brooke Ramos advances the ball against Iolani. Evan Asato | SL

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Iolani's Dana Lim and Kamehameha'a Kiani Halushka battle in mid-air for a ball. Evan Asato | SL

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Iolani's Kylee Kim-Bustillos scored the only goal of the game against Kamehameha. Evan Asato | SL

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Iolani players celebrate after Kylee Kim-Bustillos's goal. Evan Asato | SL

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Sat, Jan 25, 2014 @ Iolani

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Kamehameha

0

Iolani

1

Final	1st	2nd	OT	2OT	PK	Tot
Kamehameha (14-1-1)	0	0	-	-	-	0
Iolani (12-1-2)	0	0	-	-	-	1

SEASON LEADERS

Megan Goo 12 goals

Kiani Halushka 19 goals

As a champion so often does, Iolani came through in the clutch.

Kylee Kim-Bustillos scored in the 74th minute to lift Iolani to a thrilling 1-0 win over Kamehameha in the regular-season finale for both teams Saturday. The victory gives the Raiders (10-0-2) the Interscholastic League of Honolulu girls soccer title and the league's top seed into the state tournament in two weeks.

Iolani, which finished in the league standings with 32 points to Kamehameha's 31, posted their eighth shutout of the season. The Warriors (10-1-1) suffered their first loss of the year to see a five-game win streak snapped, but will also appear in the state tournament as the ILH's second seed.

"We learned from last year the importance of having that bye on the first day, so we really wanted to win the ILH," Raiders' coach Kristin Masunaga said. "We knew the situation coming in — it was a must-win for us — but I think we play better when we're in these types of games."

Kamehameha entered Saturday two points ahead of reigning state-champion Iolani and needed just a tie to secure the league title.

A crowd of about 300 spectators at Kozuki Stadium witnessed a physical, back-and-forth battle between the teams. There were a total of 19 fouls called and one yellow card (on Iolani's Nikki Mitsuyasu late in the first half), but more costly were the injuries both teams sustained.

Pikake Kaneshiro, the Raiders' leading scorer on the season, left the game in the 31st minute after an apparent left-knee injury. The junior forward was carted off the field and did not return. She was on crutches for the second half.

"It's a big loss for us; she's an important player," Masunaga said of Kaneshiro. "We have to wait and see the results of the MRI, but we're probably counting her out (for states)."

On the other side, Kamehameha's Kawaiulani Makue — who ranks second in the ILH with 13 goals — went down in the 45th minute, also with a left knee injury, and was carted off the field. She did not return to action, but was able to walk after the game.

Iolani had most of the scoring chances in the game. The Raiders recorded six shots on goal — including four in the second half — to just one for the Warriors.

Late in the first half, Mitsuyasu fired a shot from about 12 yards out that went off the crossbar and was cleared out. In the 66th minute, Kim-Bustillos had a chance from 25 yards away on the right flank, but her shot was denied by Kamehameha goal keeper Sisilia Meli. About four minutes later, Emily Tanaka had nearly the same scenario, but was also stuffed by Meli.

The Raiders finally broke through in the 74th minute when Mitsuyasu unleashed a shot from the left side that ricocheted off the crossbar and bounced around in the box before Kim-Bustillos knocked it in for a goal.

"I saw Nikki kick it, it hit the crossbar, went off the goalie's hand, hit the pole and bounced around and I just reached out and poked it in," Kim-Bustillos said.

It was the first goal allowed by Kamehameha since Jan. 7 and just the sixth given up all season.

The Warriors, however, hardly folded after the Iolani goal. They got off two shots in the final minutes — including a 45-yard laser off the foot of Kayla Mizo — but Raiders' goalie Courtney Overland made spectacular saves on both. Overland played the second half, replacing starter Katie Yuu after the intermission.

"She was out for six weeks of the season and when she came back I asked her which half she rather play and she said second, because she hates sitting on the bench at the end of the game, so that's what we've been going with all year," Masunaga said. "I don't like to split time at the goalie position, but they both make big saves when they're in there and they're both working out."

Mitsuyasu said the injury to Kaneshiro, whose 10 goals ranks her fifth in the ILH in scoring, could have deflated the Raiders, but they rallied around her instead.

"It motivated us to come together, to have each other's back — to have Pikake's back," Mitsuyasu said. "It really brought us together more, which we needed to win this game."

It was the second time the Raiders and Warriors faced off this season. They played to a scoreless tie back on Dec. 23 at Kunuiakea Stadium.

The Outrigger Hotels & Resorts/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I Girls Soccer State Championships will be played Feb. 5 to 8 at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex.