Falcons Bring Sharp Defense Into Division 1 Soccer Play

Wednesday - November 22, 2006
By Jack Danilewicz
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With a riveting post-season run in 2006, the Kalani girls soccer team didn’t have to spend much time defining goals this pre-season.

Indeed, nothing draws a group closer than ending up on the plus side of the win-loss ledger.

“There’s definitely a lot more excitement around here,” second-year coach Ryan Shinkawa said. “It (late-season success) was quite an accomplishment for our players, parents and community. As a coach, you want them to strive, and you want to set your goals high. Seeing what they accomplished, more of them believe now, and expectations here are a little higher.”

The 2005-06 Falcons advanced all the way to the Oahu Interscholastic Association title game last January and made it to the Meadow Gold State Soccer Championships for the first time in the school’s proud history. The by-product of that success is that their opponents have also taken note. A number of coaches in the parity-driven OIA East have placed Kalani among the pre-season favorites, the ultimate compliment or a curse, depending on how the Falcons prefer to size up the situation. Kalani’s 1-0 win over traditional power Pearl City in the OIA semifinals last year was one of the year’s true upsets in Hawaii prep sports.

Count longtime Kailua coach Wil Kimura among the opposing coaches who regard Kalani as a force to contend with in the East.

“They should be really strong this year,” said Kimura, who has led his own team to eight state tournaments.

Despite last year’s success, Shinkawa will have a young roster in 2006-07. Only three of his 22 players are seniors, with 11 juniors, four sophomores and four freshmen also in the fold.

Regardless of the breakdown between under and upperclassmen, however, the focal point of Shinkawa’s program has always been to spread the ball around.

“We don’t (have a go-to person) at this point,” said Shinkawa, whose team opens the season at home Dec. 2 against Moanalua. “Each individual player has her strengths, and when we put them all together, they complement each other nicely. We can be very dynamic on the field. We’re trying to stress the team attitude - to think ‘we’ instead of ‘me.‘You’re always going to have bumps in the road during a season - everyone isn’t always going to get along - but the main thing is that you have to be able to work through it.

“Ultimately, to reach our goals, we’ll get there as a team and not as individuals.”

On a team with no superstars, the Falcons’ overall balance should serve them well. If all goes according to plan, Kalani could be one of the more difficult teams to prepare for in the OIA.

“We have some great players out there - the overall talent is strong but you can’t focus on any one person,” said Shinkawa, who competed for Iolani in his own playing days. “It’s a team where everyone can count on each other. We can put another person in (if we’re not getting what we want).”

Stellar defense helped Kalani make the OIA title game last season, and Shinkawa is hoping his team can once again keep the score down. While his team lost all three state tournament encounters last year, the Falcons gave up only a single goal in each of them.

“Defensively, we’ve been pleased with our effort so far. I like their heart. You can see the fire in their eyes. The kids have been playing really aggressive. Offensively, we’re still trying to find our identity.”

With the OIA having divided its soccer programs into two divisions this year, the Falcons, who have been designated as Division I, will play league opponents twice.

Kalani’s division will include Kaiser, Kalaheo, Kahuku, Castle and Moanalua.

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