Hurricanes edge Rough Riders, 1-0, in preseason play

Kapolei sophomore forward Bryana Yoshida tries to get around Roosevelt's Angelina Gonzalez in a preseason contest Tuesday night. Leighland Tagawa | SL

MAKIKI — Kapolei sophomore forward Bryana Yoshida scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win to help the visiting Hurricanes top Roosevelt Tuesday night at Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium.

Yoshida's score came in the first half, but it was a slow start for Kapolei. The Hurricanes made adjustments at the break and kept the pressure on the Rough Riders to preserve the shutout.

"What ended up happening in the very beginning was we were moving the ball way too slow, so we actually had to employ a different tactic at halftime," said Kapolei coach Brian Beck. "We had to employ a different tactic because they were playing us fast on the outsides. We were a little banged up, but overall I think we outworked them a little bit."

Beck added that his team was fortunate to get a score from Yoshida in the first half. Although she was unable to find the back of the net after the break, Yoshida's attempts on goal kept Roosevelt on its toes.

"She just had a phenomenal second half," Beck said on Yoshida. "That was probably one of the best halves soccer she played."

Still, Yoshida made the most of her opportunities and was able to knock one in during the first half.

"The defender miss-touched it and I got it and I turned and I took a couple of touches, and I shot it off the back post," said Yoshida.

Beck said that Yoshida will be one to help shoulder most of the offensive load as the Hurricanes look to be a more defensive-minded team this season with the graduation of forwards Alyssa Yoshida and Cait Perry, two All-Oahu Interscholastic Association Western Division selections a year ago. Second Team selection Michele Bonifacio is also out with an ACL injury.

Senior Kayla Alcott will lead the defense as a center back.

"We have a lot of seniors who are nice and calm in the back, and then we have our spazzy sophomores and juniors up top so hopefully we can turn that into goals," said Beck.

"I don't think we're going to score a lot of goals this year, but I think that our defense is going to help us win a lot of games. Last year we could just outscore teams. This year, we just have to coach them up to make sure we can get those ball up top."

For the Rough Riders, Tuesday night was a chance to play against one of the upper-level teams in the OIA West. Roosevelt has been a fringe playoff team the past years, so its match against Kapolei was a good measuring stick.

"Basically of this team, they want to make the playoffs," said Roosevelt coach Shaina Caporoz. "We've been right on the edge, this year it could be possible."

Roosevelt was playing in its fourth game of the preseason after playing in the Big Island Candies Hilo Bay Classic Soccer Tournament last weekend. The Rough Riders dropped their first two contests to Hilo and Hawaii Prep, but picked up a 5-3 win over Kauai on Sunday.

"We only had one day of practice and we played already so they are getting better," said Caporoz.

Both teams will have about two more weeks of non-league action before the regular season starts on Dec. 5.