HHSAA Girls Soccer
Buffanblu buoyed by Salanoa's strong play in goal, Yoshimura's PK to 3rd straight state crown


Kalani Takase | ScoringLive
February 4, 2025, 12:40am

  

Mon, Feb 3, 2025 @ Waipio

Punahou

1

Kamehameha

0

Final 1st 2nd OT 2OT PK Tot
Punahou (11-2-0) 1 0 - - - 1
Kamehameha (10-2-0) 0 0 - - - 0
Maya Yoshimura (11’)


WAIPAHU — The Buffanblu are keeping what's theirs. 

Buoyed by a clean sheet and the lone goal from Maya Yoshimura, No. 2 Punahou claimed a third consecutive state championship with its 1-0 win over No. 1 Kamehameha Monday night. 

A raucous crowd of about 3,500 fans at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium saw the Buffanblu (11-2) get by the Warriors (10-2) in the title game of the Motiv8 Foundation/HHSAA Division I Girls Soccer tournament for their 14th championship in program history. 

Yoshimura's penalty kick in the 11th minute proved to be the difference between the Interscholastic League of Honolulu rivals who have faced off in each of the last four state finals. 

It is the first three-peat by a team since Punahou won three straight titles from 2009 to 2011. 

"Winning a state championship is obviously something special so getting the chance to three-peat is just something not every team gets to do, so I'm very appreciative of it," said Yoshimura, a junior forward who earned tournament most outstanding player recognition. 

The Buffanblu took the long road back on top this time around. They finished runner-up to the Warriors in the ILH and had to win four games in seven days to lock up their third crown under coach Shelley Izuno. 

"It's unbelievable the things that this team has gone through," Izuno said. "Just the ups and downs of the season, building themselves as a team and just trying to figure it out together and it was tough. It was much more challenging than easy throughout the season so to end up here is amazing."

Motiv8 Foundation/HHSAA Girls Soccer State Championships

Division I All-Tournament Team
Deizha Lyn Jacinto, Waipahu
Cassie Jenkins, Kamehameha
Kaya Leslie, Kamehameha
Erika Marciel, Punahou
Sarah Naumu, Kamehameha
Mya Pasion, Kamehameha
Haley Scott-Recarte, Punahou
Madison Sharrer, Kamehameha
Emily Sparks, Punahou
Kylie Tang, Punahou
Xeyana Salanoa, Punahou (GK)
Most Outstanding Player: Maya Yoshimura, Punahou

It was Punahou's eighth shutout this season and just the second time Kamehameha was held without a goal all year — the other time was also at the hands of the Buffanblu back on Jan. 3. 

Buffanblu goalkeeper Xeyana Salanoa played a pivotal role in the result. The senior recorded three of her four total saves in a sometimes frantic second half. Two of those stops came in the final three minutes. 

"Going into the game they knew exactly what their jobs were, they knew what to expect, they knew exactly the balls that (Salanoa) was gonna have to come out and get and the pace and having half of Kamehameha running at her, so she understood and she showed up. She was able to come out and hold on to the ball; She did an excellent job," Izuno said. 

Salanoa passed the praise onto her teammates in the defensive third. 

"It's definitely very hard to stay on your toes and to keep watch on the back door as well, but I think with my team covering me and just everyone, from our fans to my family as well, just cheering and just keeping us on our toes," Salanoa said. 

Before the Warriors recorded their first shot on goal, the Buffanblu were on the board. 

The sequence that led to the PK began with a Punahou counterattack that followed a Kamehameha corner kick. Senior forward Mailana Malaythong broke free from a few defenders and found enough space to fire a shot on goal that was deflected by Warriors' goalkeeper Kailla Miller. The rebound came back to Malaythong, who was able to get off a second shot, but it ricocheted off a defender. 

However, a few seconds after the ricochet, a foul was called on a Kamehameha player in the 18-yard box, which resulted in a penalty kick for Punahou. 

Neither coach got a good look at the play that drew whistle. 

"I think I saw Mali having an obviously goal-scoring opportunity and her being fouled, but I don't know — I just see it and then I dump it," Izuno stated. 

Kamehameha coach Melissa Moore did not think the play warranted a foul. 

"Quite honestly, I couldn't see it from my angle. It looked like they were playing. It didn't look like anything malicious. It didn't look like any kind of tackle, but again, I did not have a great angle on it so I can't really — I don't know," Moore said. 

Ultimately, the foul in the box sent Yoshimura to the penalty spot and she converted the opportunity into a goal with a solidly-struck ball past the leaping Miller to the upper right corner.

"We practice PKs for every practice after practice so I was pretty confident in my PK ability, but I was definitely nervous because there was more outside noise this time. It's definitely a different game when there's people screaming at you, but I was having fun with it," Yoshimura said. 

Yoshimura herself didn't vividly recall the details on the foul Malaythong drew, but did not shy away from her responsibility in the aftermath of it. 

"Honestly, I saw Mali go down and that's about it, but I saw (the referee) point to the PK spot and that's just — I knew that that was my job from there," Yoshimura said. 

Izuno credited Yoshimura for delivering when called upon. 

"She knows it's her when it's a PK, so she was prepared to finish it so I'm really proud of her because it's a lot of pressure, but she was able to get the job done," Izuno said. 

It was Yoshimura's seventh goal on the year and her fourth of the state tournament. 

Kamehameha registered its only shot on goal of the first half about three minutes later, but it came from distance and was easily saved by Salanoa. 

The Warriors had a free kick after a Buffanblu foul in the 19th minute. Kaya Leslie's shot from about 45 yards out bounced near the top of the 18-yard box toward the right post, but an outstretched Salanoa was able to secure the ball before any of Leslie's teammates could track it down. 

Just before halftime Kamehameha's Madison Sharrer received a long pass from a teammate and put a solid kick on the ball from about 15 yards out, but she missed just wide right of the frame. 

The Warriors kept the pressure on early in the second half. About eight minutes out of the intermission, Kulia Montgomery — Kamehameha's leading goal scorer on the year — booted a left-footed shot from 25 yards out toward the right side of the goal, but Salanoa made a diving save to protect her team's lead. 

Punahou threatened to double up its cushion midway through the second half when freshman Kylie Tang put a pair of shots on goal just a minute apart, but both were saved by Miller. 

Kamehameha orchestrated a counterattack after Tang's second shot and got the ball to a streaking Mya Pasion down the left flank. Pasion pushed the ball forward near the end line before she attempted to cross it in, but the ball hit the crossbar and went over the goal. 

In the 74th minute, Sharrer placed a corner kick toward the middle of the box, where it tracked down by Ayva-Ray Malepeai, however, Malepeai's header missed wide right. 

Four minutes after that, Ionare Ve'e struck the ball with her left foot from 25 yards out on the left side of the pitch, but Salanoa came up with a crucial save to keep the Buffanblu ahead. 

Salanoa saved another shot just a minute later when Montgomery fired a low liner from 25 yards away. 

Kamehameha had a final chance with a corner kick in the closing seconds, but Salanoa was able to smother the ball in front of the goal before the Warriors could put a shot on goal and time expired soon thereafter. 

"It's definitely amazing for this three-peat coming in with a brand new team (after) half of our seniors left last year, so (we've been) just working really hard during this season. It's been a tough battle for us, but I'm really happy my team executed today," Salanoa said.

Izuno can still clearly recall her first interaction with Salanoa when she invited the then-sophomore to tryout for the varsity squad. 

"Just the smile on her face and just seeing her grow over the years and the mature lady she is right now — she's so intelligent, such a leader, really exceptional — one of a kind," Izuno expressed. "I miss her already."

Salanoa, who was also selected to the all-tournament team, said the 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Warriors back on Dec. 23 proved to be a bit of a turning point for the Buffanblu. 

"I think that really woke us up and it was kind of a motivational push for us as well, because at the start of the this season it was to try to win every game but obviously there's setbacks, so that kind of just pushed us to do better," Salanoa said. 

Moore expressed pride in her players for going down swinging, but felt that the officiating crew allowed too much physicality over the course of the match. 

"Honestly, I think it could have been a better game. I think it could have been a game that didn't need to result in such physical play. I think it could have been a game that was a very nice possession-oriented game, I thought the physicality of the game was too much. I think that's not the way we should be playing soccer, quite honestly, that's my honest opinion," Moore said. 

Izuno, for her part, agreed with Moore — to an extent. 

"I thought it was too physical, but honestly, that's how all of our games are with them; that's how it is, yeah. We just ask that everyone comes off without injuries," Izuno said. 

Kamehameha was playing in its sixth consecutive state championship match and 17th overall. 

Of the three goals allowed by the Warriors all year, two of them were by the Buffanblu. 

It was the seventh all-time meeting between the schools in a state final. 


Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].




Show your support

Every contribution, no matter the size, will help ScoringLive continue its mission to provide the best and most comprehensive coverage of high school sports in the state of Hawaii and beyond.

Please consider making a contribution today.


IMAGE GALLERY


MORE STORIES

Track and field proposals among those being considered at HIADA conference

Athletics administrators from across the state are gathered at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, where the...

HHSAA inducts 44th class into Hall of Honor

Twelve student-athletes from 10 different schools and representing three of the state's leagues were...

Iolani's Nakanelua garners All-Hawaii Player of the Year honors

Senior setter Bailey Nakanelua was the engine that helped drive the Raiders back to the top of state...

Pearl City's Ngirmidol headlines All-OIA Division II picks

Chargers' setter Marley Ngirmidol named Player of the Year in OIA Division II; Pearl City head coach...

Moanalua sweeps All-OIA East Boys Volleyball top honors

Na Menehune outside hitter Lionel Gannon named Player of the Year and head coach Alan Cabanting named...

Mililani's Kimura named All-OIA West Player of the Year

Senior OH Seth Kimura was joined by teammate Kaito Duranceau on the first team; Trojans' head coach Gabriel...