Kaia Borje rounds a Castle defender inside the 18 yard box in the first half. Leighland Tagawa | SL

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_24122256_Moa_Castle_girlssoc24_photo6.jpg - Leighland Tagawa | SL

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KANEOHE - Kaia Borje-Peeples scores a brace to help Moanalua defeat Castle 3-0 at Castle Saturday night. 

Na Menehune are now 4-1 and sit tied on points with the Knights a top the OIA Eastern Standings. Both teams, plus Kalaheo and Kaiser, all have 12 points. 

The game started out with the Knights having three early chances on goal. However, Moanalua keeper Marisa Lam came up big and made three key saves within the first 10 minutes of play.

Those saves would become vital as Moanalua was able to settle down and start working the ball.

The first goal for Na. Menehune came in the 11th minute. Castle won a freekick around the halfline. The ball was kicked, then cleared long by a Na Menehune defender, and traveled all the way back to the Castle backline. Castle tried to clear it back, but the ball went right into the path of Krislyn Uyeda. Uyeda played a weighted through ball that Borje-Peeples' ran on to. She then rounded Castle keeper Liliana Serrano and slotted it home to make it 1-0.

Moanalua dominated the possession after that and made the Knights pay again.

In the 21st minute, Sammantha Williamson was played through down the right flank. Williamson hit a low cross that was whiffed on by a few Castle defenders and right into the path of Kaitlyn Ferreria, who slotted it home from close range. 

Moanalua kept peppering shots on goal and forced Serrano to make two big stops in the 22nd and 23rd minute. 

After that, both teams were unsuccessful in creating anymore clear cut opportunities before halftime. 

Moanalua would take the early momentum early in the second half and kept the ball in Castle territory. Na Menehune again took some dangerous shots on goal, but Serrano would come up big a couple more times for the Knights. Serrano finished with 4 saves on the night.

The third and final goal for Moanalua came in the 61st minute. Na Menehune were awarded a freekick in a dangerous spot right outside the Castle 18 yard box. Midfielder Taylor Thomas delievered a perfectly placed ball into the middle of the box. Borje-Peeples beat her defender, rose up, and head in her second goal of the game. Borje, a transfer from Aiea, now has 5 goals so far this season.

Since losing to Kalaheo in the first week of OIA play, Moanalua are now on a 4-game winning streak and will take on Kalani the day after Christmas. The Knights, who just had their 4-game winning streak broken, will look to bounce back against Roosevelt that same day.