Kaiser needs golden goal to get past Kahuku in quarterfinal thriller

Rayden Aoki | SL

For the blue and gold faithful in attendance, the 91st minute was anything but blue.

Kaiser outlasted Kahuku in a heart-pulsing double overtime match, as Alexis Roukema's second chance ball turned golden. The senior found herself in the right place at the right time, placing a shot in the back of the net in the first minute of the second overtime period for a 2-1 win, catapulting the eighth ranked Cougars into the OIA Division I semifinals.

"She (Lea Kanekoa) got a little touch on it, but just couldn't hit it all the way, so I was in there to finish it off," said Roukema of the score, her first of the season.

The Cougars seemingly looked in control after finally breaking through in the second half to put a goal on the board, as Rory Matsumoto-Hussey gave the home team a 1-0 advantage in the 45th minute after striking true on a ball deflected on a save by the Red Raiders' keeper.

Undeterred, Kahuku found the equalizer in the 59th, as Mia Lopes placed a perfect lofted shot from the right corner that arched perfectly over the keeper and tucked into the far post for the equalizer. For the record, that goal was the first scored by the Red Raiders against the Cougars since Jan 5, 2019, and came at the best possible moment.

The score remained knotted through the end of regulation.

In the opening moments of the first sudden death period, Kaiser had a chance to close the game out as the Kahuku keeper extended well beyond goal on a save attempt, leaving an empty net. A scramble ensued and a Cougars' player managed to get a foot on it, but the shot lofted out of play.

Kahuku had its chance as well in the closing minutes of the first OT, as a shot save bounded away from the keeper, and a scrum ensued in front of the Kaiser goal, but a foul eventually was whistled to halt play, putting an end to that threat.

Up next for Kaiser is a semifinal matchup with perennial OIA power Mililani, who dispatched Leilehua 9-0 in the first game of the evening at Kaiser Stadium. Jaslene Cayetano had four goals to pace the Trojans in the lopsided win over the Mules.

Kaiser and Mililani last met in the opening round of the Division I state tournament two seasons ago, where the Trojans won 5-3.

"You know you play Mililani and its going to be a rough game, but I think that as long as we really put our minds to it, we got it," said Roukema. "We're playing for me and the other 11 seniors, but we're also playing for our underclassmen."