Hawaii Prep's Gabbie Ewing headers the ball against Mid-Pacific. Tyler Kanoa | Special to SL

Purchase image 1 of 4

Hawaii Prep's Brittani Boora attempts to maintain possession against a Mid-Pacific defender. Tyler Kanoa | Special to SL

Purchase image 2 of 4

Mid-Pacific's Coby Yoshimura gets airborne on a kick attempt against Hawaii Prep. Sylvia Lee | SL

Purchase image 3 of 4

Hawaii Prep players celebrate after defeating Mid-Pacific to win the Division II title. Tyler Kanoa | Special to SL

Purchase image 4 of 4

Sat, Feb 8, 2014 @ Waipio

---

Hawaii Prep

2

Mid-Pacific

1

Final/OT	1st	2nd	OT	2OT	PK	Tot
Hawaii Prep (3-0-0)	0	0	0	-	-	2
Mid-Pacific (6-7-2)	0	0	0	-	-	1

J. Shepherd    B. Vallente    N. Tavares

WAIPAHU - After coming close the past two years, Hawai'i Prep Academy finally seized that elusive state soccer championship Saturday night.

Nanea Tavares' header from six yards seven minutes into sudden death overtime lifted Ka Makani past three-time defending champion Mid-Pacific, 2-1, for their first Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Division II state girls' soccer title.

"I was just in the right place at the right time," Tavares said.

The Owls (6-7-2) had been somewhat of a nemesis to the Ka Makani (13-2-1) the past three tournaments. MPI had beaten HPA in the title games, 2-0 in 2013 and 1-0 in 2012, and 1-0 in the 2011 semifinals. Hawai'i Prep becomes the first BIIF team to win the D2 title since Kamehameha-Hawai'i in 2008.

"We definitely did not give up," Bri Vallente said. "We weren't going to give up. If we did let up what we have right now wouldn't have been ours."

The title is especially meaningful to HPA coach Stephen Perry, who has coached for 25 seasons. Hawai'i Prep has participated in 30 of the 33 state tournaments. Even before the advent of Division II in 2007, Ka Makani were a regular at the tournament.

"It's just a real special group," Perry said.

In the first half, it was looking like the Owls were going to make it four in a row. They scored first when Janaye Shepherd scored off a direct kick from about 40 yards out. It was a well-designed play that put goalkeeper Morgan Monahan in a predicament. Forward Kayla Watanabe moved toward the far post, drawing Monahan in that direction, leaving the goal wide open. The accurate-shooting Shepherd shot it in untouched.

"We're trying to make the goalie decide, 'Do I play the ball, do I stay out, what do I do?'" MPI coach David Pai said. "She got caught in the middle, playing the ball, then seeing the runner."

The Owls took that lead into the break and into the final 10 minutes of regulation.

Ka Makani, however, had control of most of the second half and the OT and kept pressing the MPI defense. Of their 23 shots on goal, 12 came in the second half and two in the OT. Finally, at 71:32, Bri Vallente knocked in the game-tying goal after a series of deflections by MPI defenders.

"It's just so tough to get a goal by them," Perry said. "Finally, we got one by them, so we said, 'OK, then, it's going to happen. We just had to get that first one to tie it up."

The Owls had an opportunity to regain the lead later after another direct kick by Shepherd, but Monahan made a nice save to keep the game tied.

In OT, HPA was still in control. It was just a matter of time before Ka Makani ended the game with Tavares' header.

"At the end, they were taking it to us," Pai said.

The Owls were limited to seven shots on goal.

"I'm really proud of my girls," Pai said. "They came to play. They played much better than they played last night. They left everything on the field, so that's all you can ask for."

DIVISION II ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Most Outstanding Player

Gabbie Ewing, Hawaii Prep

Mari Tateishi, Mid-Pacific
Tasi Reid, Pac-Five
Kekai Wong Yuen, KS-Hawaii
Dani Grainger, Hawaii Prep
Janaye Shepherd, Mid-Pacific
Nanea Tavares, Hawaii Prep
JC Kerr, KS-Hawaii
Shayla “Sachi” Iwata, KS-Hawaii
Bri Vallente, Hawaii Prep
Kayla Watanabe, Mid-Pacific
 
Goalkeeper:  Morgan Monahan, Hawaii Prep