Aiea Leaving Nothing To Chance
By Jack Danilewicz
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One-goal games became a lifestyle for the Aiea boys soccer team over the last month of the regular season. As it begins OIA Tournament play this week, those close encounters can only be a good thing, with every possession of every game likely to be critical for them and their opponents.
“It definitely helps,” Aiea head coach Jon Shirafuji said.“It (OIA championship) will come down to whoever makes the best of their chances. Mililani, on our side, has a great record, but all of their games were close. Judging by the East scores, it looks like a pretty level field.”
Pairings (and game sites) for the tournament, which was to begin Tuesday, were to be finalized over the weekend. Aiea had entered its finale against Nanakuli last Friday, holding a half-game lead over both Kapolei and Pearl City for the second seed out of the West. A win over the Golden Hawks would have insured Aiea a No. 2 seed and a first-round bye on Tuesday.
Na Ali’i, who were seeking a third straight second place finish in the Red West, will play a quarterfinal game Wednesday, hoping to not only advance within their OIA format, but also secure one of the league’s six berths for next month’s Division I State Soccer Championships.
While they won’t know Aiea’s Wednesday opponent until the night before, Na Ali’i's focus is clear, regardless of the opponent, said Shirafuji, whose team went 6-1-1 over its last eight games.“Putting the ball in the net is our focus. The kids work hard at it in practice, but in the game the pressure is magnified, and it’s a lot tougher. We’re scraping by, offensively. We have moments where we put things together. We’ve tried a number of things, so we’re hoping we’ll break through in the playoffs.”
Aiea tallied 13 goals during the regular season on the offensive end, but defensive numbers are far more visible as they yielded only9in11 games. Solid defense also was a big help in winning close games. In taking a 6-3-2 record into last weekend, the team had been involved in six games decided by a goal or less, winning four of them, while earning ties in the other two - no small feat for a team playing 13 to 14 players in its rotation.
Some other programs in the OIA have rosters in the 20s, but a couple of academic casualties and a season-ending injury to another player cut into Na Ali’i's depth and undermined their momentum this winter.
Senior defender Mason Puckett remains team leader, according to the coach.“He’s experienced, and he’s very skilled. He helps us a lot. He’s a combination of size, speed and aggressiveness, and he knows how to get to the ball.”
Junior center/mid-fielder Dylan Daguay also has been a steady performer for Aiea. “Poise is his strength. He’s knows where to be, and he gets to the right spot. He always seems to be around the ball.”
Shirafuji was expecting to add a couple of players to his roster for this week’s games. Two players had been ruled academically ineligible under OIA’s guidelines, but have since fulfilled their requirements.
“I don’t know how our chemistry will be (with the addition of the two), but it will definitely help with our depth,” Shirafuji said. “Once the whistle blows, they’ll play their hearts out.”
The semifinals of the OIA Tournament are Friday with the championship game Saturday. The Boys State Soccer Championships are set for Feb. 11-14 at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park.
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