Longtime coach Nikki Dela Pena cannot overstate Krislyn Uyeda's importance to the Moanalua girls soccer team. 

"She can be silent in the stat sheet, but she's behind every goal that we score and every win that we get," Dela Pena said of Uyeda, a senior midfielder and forward for Na Menehune. 

Uyeda is the lone fourth-year player for Dela Pena this winter and has been in the starting lineup in some capacity since she was a freshman.

Over the course of her prep career, Uyeda has scored 24 goals while filling various roles all over the pitch. As the lone freshman four years ago, Uyeda was tied for third on the team with four goals, primarily as a midfielder. The following season saw her serve as a defender, but she still accounted for nine goals, which ranked second on the team. Uyeda netted seven goals, second most for Moanalua, as a junior midfielder last year. 

"I think it was very recognizable her freshman year that there was something special about her and I think as the years progressed — with high school season being so short and for us, just trying to make sure we have the right pieces and that those pieces fit into the right spots — so being able to put her in the right places is something that's allowed her to kind of shine through," Dela Pena said. 

Uyeda was named to the All-Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I East first team, as well an All-Hawaii third team, in both her sophomore and junior seasons. She is undoubtedly Moanalua's most experienced player and arguably amongst the state's most seasoned veterans.  

Uyeda's presence bodes well for Na Menehune, who saw seven players complete their eligibility last year, including defenders Kaia Borje-Peeples (All-Hawaii second team) and Erin Lam (All-OIA East first team), midfielder Ryah Echavaria (All-Hawaii third team), forward Taylor Thomas (All-Hawaii honorable mention) and goalkeeper Marisa Lam (All-OIA East Player of the Year). 

"She's our only returning starting field player so to have her there, with her having played through the types of games we've gone through the last three years, really means a lot because she has that experience to compete at those levels," Dela Pena said. 

The versatility that Uyeda provides has certainly paid dividends for Moanalua over the years. She has helped her team reach the state tournament in each of her first three seasons. 

"She's crucial at every part of it. She's moved from defensive mid to attacking mid, then we'd move her to striker at times and it's just to make sure we balance our look and do things that make us stronger as a team," Dela Pena said. 

Both times Uyeda was selected to the All-OIA East first team, it was as a utility player.

Dela Pena describes Uyeda as a calming presence, a characteristic which certainly served her well in her time on the defensive third of the pitch. 

"She just has a constant calmness about her and that's her and I would never say she's ever emotionally detached, but she just has this calmness about her and how she carries herself that might you know she's there, but teams might kind of lose track of her until it stings them later," Dela Pena said. 

She added: "I think her vision on the back line allows us to kind of create more offensive opportunities because she kind of sees things that the front line attackers don't see. She's able to play great balls though and she's still dangerous when she's the holding mid because she can blast balls from 35, 40 yards out."

Dela Pena affirmed that regardless of where Uyeda is on the pitch at any given time, she is a key difference maker. 

"Just overall, our team is more confident and we play better with her out there. She knows how to arrange and organize us and we have better attacks when we have her on the field. They all look up to her so when they're on the field, they all want to perform better to keep up with her as well. All these girls work so hard, but she plays a huge part in that," Dela Pena said. 

Telling of just how much her teammates and coaches respect her, Uyeda has been a team captain the last two years. Despite the many demands upon her, Uyeda has never pushed back on any decision from Dela Pena or the rest of the coaching staff. 

"We want to have that kind of back and forth with our captains where they're able to give us feedback and input. There are times that I start her up top and as the game goes on I might more her around but it's all for the best of the team and so it's a great respectful relationship where she's not looking to shine as an individual, but she's looking to help the team win," Dela Pena described. 

It took some time for Uyeda to find her voice as a captain, in spite of her quiet nature. 

"Even though I say she's silent, this year I think she's realized that role as a leader. There are a lot of times at halftime when we'll have discussions as a team about what's going on out there and she's able to tell the team what she sees and so it's good that the team has that from each other and she's been able to step up at the times that she needs to," Dela Pena said. 

Uyeda has scored four goals through Moanalua's first seven games this season —all of them coming in wins — with three of those goals in the most recent four-match span. 

In last Tuesday's 2-0 win over Castle, Uyeda set up Kaitlyn Ferreira's goal in the first half, then found the back of the net herself after the intermission. 

"Kris set up a great ball that Kaitlyn was able to finish and that's the kind of relationship that those two have where they work together in the midfield and they've been around each other for a long time so they have a good read on each other," Dela Pena said of Ferreira, a junior who has scored a team-best seven goals this season. 

Uyeda doubled up her team's lead in the second half with her fourth goal of the year. 

"She set herself up on that one. We had a couple possession passes and she was able to find some space and we always encourage her to shoot because she's got a great leg so she took a beautiful shot that hit the back net," Dela Pena added. 

As Dela Pena put it, Na Menehune are at their best when Uyeda is pulling the strings as an attacking mid. 

"She has great vision and her touches are really good. She works well with the other midfielders as we try to create things and because of her versatility she can make those through balls, but she's also a scoring threat anywhere on that field," Dela Pena said. 

Uyeda is tasked with taking corner kicks and often times, direct kicks, for the team — "We're just better when she's involved," Dela Pena noted. 

The 5-foot-4 Uyeda is a member of the Hawaii Rush soccer club. Last month she signed a letter of intent to play for Grand Canyon University. 

"She just knows how to put together wins and she knows that this team needs her on the field. She's very much invested in what we do and she's kind of one of those that the girls definitely look up to — it all kind of gravitate towards her — but one good thing about her is because she's a composed player, she can play through tough situations while still knowing how to motivate the team," Dela Pena said.

Moanalua sits in second place in the OIA Division I East standings, one game behind first-place Kaiser, with three games left to play.

Uyeda and Na Menehune (6-1) host Kalaheo Tuesday night before they close out the close out the regular season against Kalani and Kaiser. 

GIRLS SOCCER 

Adelyn Boling, Waialua — Scored two goals in a win over Aiea 

Jaslene Cayetano, Mililani — Scored two goals in a win over Leilehua and scored two goals in a win over Leilehua 

Sierra Kalani, Roosevelt — Scored four goals in a win over Farrington 

Nasha Kane, Campbell — Scored two goals in a win over Pearl City 

Kailea Moniz, Baldwin — Scored the lone goal in a win over Kamehameha-Maui 

Kaahupahau Montgomery, Kamehameha — Scored the lone goal in a win over Punahou II 

Aina Nakamura, Punahou — Scored two goals and assisted on another in a win over Le Jardin 

Logan Pang, Iolani — Scored two goals in a win over PAC-5

Navaeh Ranis, Baldwin — Scored the lone goal in a win over Kekaulike 

Skyy Smith, Kaiser — Scored two goals and assisted on another in a win over Kalaheo 

Sabre Telles-Kuwahara, Radford — Scored three goals in a win over Waianae 

Myla Tuitele, Kamehameha-Maui — Scored two goals in a win over Lahainaluna 

Kira Yamaguchi, Kalani — Scored two goals in a win over Kalaheo 

BOYS SOCCER

Brent Bersabal, Farrington — Scored two goals in a win over Kaimuki 

Kakahi Kapuaala, Kamehameha-Maui — Scored two goals in a win over Lahainaluna

Justin Katayama, Castle — Scored a goal and assisted on another in a win over Kalani 

Desmond McMaster, Kailua — Scored the lone goal in a win over Roosevelt 

Kanatip Sontisumpun, McKinley — Scored a goal and assisted on another in a win over Leilehua 

Cooper Watkins, Baldwin — Scored the lone goal in a win over Kamehameha-Maui 

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Jordin Baker, Kalani — Scored 22 points in a win over Roosevelt 

Shanti Castillo, Moanalua — Scored 19 points in a win over Kailua 

Landalei Davis, Leilehua — Scored 19 points in a win over Mililani 

Cristina Harrison, Hanalani — Scored 23 points in a win over Mid-Pacific 

Pua Herrington — Maryknoll — Scored 21 points in a win over Punahou 

Kaira Hoolulu, Kailua — Scored 31 points in a loss to Moanalua 

Honor Kaniho, Lahainaluna — Scored 19 points in a win over Baldwin 

Neve Palmer, Punahou II — Scored 21 points in a win over Iolani II 

Alofa Simanu, Moanalua — Scored 18 points in a win over Roosevelt 

Jaynalyn Sotelo, Campbell — Scored 18 points in a win over Kapolei 

Serenity Tacgere, Moanalua — Scored 18 points with eight rebounds in a win over Kailua 

Riya Tobosa, Pearl City — Scored 33 points in a win over Aiea 

BOYS BASKETBALL

Talon Ea, Waipahu — Scored 30 points in a win over Pearl City 

Jayden Gemeno, Leilehua — Scored 25 points in a win over Radford 

Garrick Imamura, Kalani — Scored 20 points in a win over Waialua 

Sebastian Ledda, Kailua — Scored 21 points in a win over Kahuku 

Kaiana Miller, Keaau — Scored 20 points in a win over Kealakehe 

Ronin Naihe, Kailua — Scored 28 points in a win over Farrington 

Waimanu O'Neil, Honokaa — Scored 20 points in a win over Kamehameha-Hawaii 

Maddox Pung, Kailua — Scored 20 points in a win over Kalaheo 

Shyne Salvador, Kamehameha — Scored 35 points in a loss to Seattle Prep 

Robert Smith, Leilehua — Scored 23 points in a win over Campbell 

Kukia Tagabi, Honokaa — Scored 23 points in a win over Kamehameha-Hawaii