Cohesive Cougars Get Ready For Soccer Showdown
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usThe Kaiser girls soccer program has been defined by its blue-collar work ethic in recent years, but their 2006-07 opponents would be wise not to underestimate their ability to get by on pure athleticism if need be.
“We like them to play scrappy - we’ve always been that way and we will be (this year). But we think we have a little bit more skill this year,” said Cougar head coach Adolph Samuels, who enters his sixth year at the Hawaii Kai school.“We have to be well-conditioned so we can pressure teams, and we have to be able to run the field.”
The Cougars start their season with some momentum behind them, after finishing second in the Oahu Interscholastic Association’s Eastern Division to Moanalua last year. Kaiser followed up its regular season by finishing fifth in the Meadow Gold State Soccer Championships last February. A number of key components from that team are back in the fold, highlighted by senior goalkeeper Cari Makino, junior forward Amanda Suiso,junior forward Rachel Tomita, and junior sweeper Erin Akazawa.
For all the collective skill the Cougars will possess, however, Samuels rates his team’s cohesiveness as its best attribute.
“You always worry about team chemistry, but this team is very close,” said Samuels, whose team beat Leilehua and Waialua in its first two pre-season games. “That can only help us. They have a good attitude, and they work very hard. The returnees want to get back to states real bad.”
In Suiso and Tomita, Samuels thinks the Cougars will have two of the more explosive offensive threats in the OIA.
“Amanda is a very physical and talented forward,“Samuels said.“She was one of our top scorers as a freshman. Last year, she was double-teamed a lot, but she’s been lifting and her conditioning has improved, so she’s ready to perform.
“Rachel is very skilled, and she has a lot of speed and quickness,” he added. “She complements Amanda nicely. She finished last season very strong, and she already has three goals in two (pre-season) games so far this year. Together, they (Makino and Suiso) can cause a lot of problems (for opposing teams). We’ll rely on them both a lot. Hopefully, they can finish (scoring plays).”
The return of Akazawa at the sweeper position and Makino in net bodes well for Kaiser’s defensive prospects.
“Cari will be one of the best keepers in the state,“Samuels said.“She’s been with us since her freshman year. and she plays Club for Leahi, so she’ll help us big-time. She could play anywhere, but she’s stellar in goal.
“Erin is a player we’ll count on a lot,“he added.“She’s come a long way. She’s worked very hard to get to this point, and we think she’s ready to have a good year.”
Samuels is also expecting freshman defender Amy Austin to have a big impact on the Cougars this season.
“She’s a player everyone will notice,” Samuels said of Austin. “She’s very smooth and very composed. She’s very mature for her age. She plays like a junior.”
Kaiser will compete in Division I this season, where they will play all six regular-season opponents twice - including one encounter at home with each school and one on the road. Samuels labeled arch-rival Kalani as the favorite in the newly-formed East Red Conference that also includes Kalaheo, Kailua, Kahuku, Castle and Moanalua.
“They’re a team to watch,“he said of the Falcons (see related story). “They have great personnel, and they’re well-coached. The East side is starting to get stronger. That (Kalani is a pre-season favorite) just shows that our (East) programs are getting stronger and that they’re ready to challenge Pearl City, Mililani, Kapolei and Aiea from the West.”
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