Mililani players celebrate after scoring the go-ahead goal against Konawaena. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Mililani players celebrate after scoring the go-ahead goal against Konawaena. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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WAIPAHU - Kayla Braunthal overcame her fear of goalkeepers when it mattered most.

With a defender on one side and goalkeeper Taiana Tolleson approaching her, the right-footed Braunthal scored from about six yards from the left side with a left-footed kick to break a 1-all game to lead Mililani over fourth-seeded Konawaena, 2-1, Friday night in the semifinals of the Outrigger Resorts Division I girls' soccer tournament.

The Trojans (14-1-1) will face Iolani (12-0-3), the only unbeaten team in Division I, for the championship, 7 p.m. Saturday at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex's Main Stadium.

Mililani is making its first appearance in the title game since 2010, when it lost to Punahou, 2-1, in penalty kicks (4-3). The Trojans are 3-8 in title games, their last crown coming in 2002, when they beat Baldwin, 2-1, in penalty kicks (5-3). It was the last time a non-ILH team won the title. Iolani is 4-5 in title games.

Konawaena (11-3) will play Campbell for third place. Whatever the outcome, it will be Konawaena's best finish in its 13 tournament appearances. Before winning last week's quarterfinals against Kaiser, the Wildcats were 0-9 in state quarterfinals.

The Trojans spent most of the second half peppering the Wildcats' goal with 10 shots on goal to Konawaena's three. But Konawaena's defense kept frustrating the Trojans until Braunthal got into a one-on-one with Konawaena defender as they approached the goal. That's when keeper Tolleson came out of the net, giving Braunthal an opening.

"I hate going against the goalie because I'm scared," Braunthal said. "I just tried to slide past her because she's going one way, so I tried to slide the other (way) and it just worked out this time."

The right-footed Braunthal used her left foot to make the shot, which sorted trickled into the empty net.

"It was really slow," Braunthal said. "It was from my left foot and I"m not left-footed. I was kind of lucky."

Braunthal had injured her knee in last week's regional round, but was cleared by her physician to play. The diagnosis apparently was right as she had to put on some nifty moves to shake her defender on the play.

"She took her time to make sure she was set up right," Mililani coach Ray Akiona said of Braunthal's attack on goal. "She just placed it perfectly in the corner.

"You have to give credit to Konawaena. They set the pace. They came out really determined. We were just waiting for an opportunity to get one break away because we knew we weren't going to get a second chance. We were lucky we were able to capitalize on that break away."

The action started early in this contest when Konawaena scored on Kaulana Ruedy's follow-through shot from six yards in the seventh minute of play.

The lead was short lived when the Trojans' Tia Furuta found the net nine minutes later from 20 yards after taking a cross from Kailana Kaeo.

"I think both teams were anxious (early)," Akiona said. "You see the ball going back and forth. You didn't have a lot of established control, but just looking for that opportunity to get that one edge to get ahead and get that score."

Overall, the Trojans had 20 shot on goal to the Wildcats' 11,

The Wildcats threatened toward the end, but the Trojans' defense was solid in denying their opponent to tie the match.

"I thought we played tough enough to win," Konawaena coach Guy Miranda said. "We had a couple opportunities to score that last goal also. We just got unlucky.

"I'm real proud of the girls. Traveling in from Kona this morning, then driving out all the way to Waimanalo then driving back here in the traffic and playing their hearts out. We'll go home and regroup and get ready for Campbell tomorrow."