Pearl City players wore blue ribbons for Tiffany-Joy Nakagawa, a sophomore fullback on last year's Chargers' squad, who passed away at the age of 15 due to a brain aneurysm in early March of 2013. Sylvia Lee | SL

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012414_SL-GS-KAIS_PC-2493a.jpg - Sylvia Lee | SL

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When Pearl City hoisted its first Oahu Interscholastic Association girls soccer championship placque since 2008 Friday night with its 2-1 win over Kaiser in penalty kicks, it did so without one of its own.

Tiffany-Joy Nakagawa, a sophomore fullback on last year's Chargers' squad, passed away at the age of 15 due to a brain aneurysm in early March of 2013.

"It was in the middle of the night, right in the back of her brain stem and it was instant — just like that she was just gone," said an emotional Pearl City coach Frank Baumholtz III. "She would have been the fourth junior in this defense, which would have made this defense just rock solid."

Nakagawa's teammates play admirably Friday night, rallying from a one-goal deficit with a 76th-minute score by Tasha Inong to send it into overtime. After two scoreless, 10-minute extra periods, the game went to penalty kicks.

"Jordan Gomes was Tiffany's best friend and when it came time for the shootout, I said to them 'Let's win this for Tiffany,' and Jordan almost broke down and I'm glad she didn't," said Baumholtz.

Gomes took over in goal for the penalty-kick portion of the match and blocked two Kaiser shots to help the Chargers win, 3-0.

"I can't believe she blocked two; Just absolutely awesome," said Baumholtz, who was confident in his team's ability to come back.

"They were playing to win and I think the true heart of this team showed when Kaiser scored," Baumholtz III said. "Almost as soon as they scored, we got a corner kick. Zoe (Sano), a freshman, took the corner kick, put it right on the money, it got banged back inside and then (Inong) got either a foot or a body on it. As soon as I saw that, I knew we were in the game. I was actually more calm going into the overtimes than I was in the game, because I knew (Nakagawa) was with us — there was no doubt in my mind."

Baumholtz III said Nakagawa's parents were in attendance Friday night to witness the Chargers' fourth win in as many days — all upsets according to the tournament seeding.

"Her mom and dad came to each of the playoff games," Baumholtz III said. "They're really great people, too."

Although Nakagawa wasn't physically with the rest of her team this season, the players and coaches have kept her memory close to their hearts all year.

"At the beginning of the season, we all had these little bands — the coaches wore them every game — and on the very first practice I said that I'm going to dedicate my season to Tiffany-Joy, because she's so much a part of this group and she'll be with us, we just have to make it worthwhile for her," Baumholtz III said.

Pearl City, which finished fifth in the seven-team OIA Red West, defeated East No. 4 Kahuku, 3-0, in a first-round game Tuesday, toppled West top-seed Campbell, 1-0, in a quarterfinal Wednesday and narrowly edged East runner-up Castle, 1-0, in penalty kicks in Thursday's semifinal round.

"Yesterday the kids all came with blue ribbons for (Nakagawa) and before the game the kids all waived them, but I don't think anybody thought we had a chance at winning yesterday," Baumholtz III said. "Today they arrived with their blue ribbons in their hair and I knew that mentally they overcame that fatigue that their bodies were feeling because when they got here, they were all giggling, laughing, listening to music. When we warmed up, it was like little school girls just chitter-chattering and I told myself that we were ready to play. When the game started, I just kind of said, 'I hope you're with us, Tiff,' and to finish this way is just unbelievable."

To be sure, this one was for Tiff.