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Saturday’s match against Moanalua was a frustrating first half for the Mililani Women’s Football Team.
The second half was a happier, more typical story for Trojans.
Jaeda Edayan and I’ai Maafala scored goals nine minutes apart in the second half before Mari Ige added a goal as Mililani beat Moanalua 3-0 to reach the OIA Division I tournament final at Kaiser.
“We knew we had an opportunity,” said Mililani coach Darren Smith. “We just found the last rink pass or the last rink run. We were able to do what we needed in the second half.”
Twenty-time OIA champions Mililani earn a league seed and receive a first-round bye at the Motiv8 Foundation Girls Division I Soccer Championship starting January 30. Represent OIA in a 12-team tournament that also includes Moanalua, Campbell, Pearl City, Waipahu and Kapolei.
“I believe we have a really good roster, so it’s very exciting. I feel really strong this year and my seniors, especially me, are really excited to get this opportunity again.” .”
Mililani, the top seed in the West, outscored their former opponents 81-3. Eastern top seeds Mililani and Moanalua both had one shot on goal in a calm first half.
“In the first half, we struggled a bit getting through the midline, but we were able to put all the pieces together and build the backline well,” Marfala said.
The Trojans, who won four state titles, had better space and took advantage of their superior speed to dominate after halftime.
Mililani (12-0-1) scored in the 48th minute after an assist from Marfala with a goal from Edayan. Edayan scored a goal He controlled the ball on the left side near the line and shot between the near post and his Menehune goalkeeper He Zoe his Crawford.
“It was a very nice ball. It was easy to track, just put it in the goal,” said Edayan.
The Trojans went 2–0 in the 57th with a Marfala explosion from 20 yards. As Kyrie Wilson dribbled down the field, he found Kamalani Yamashita who dropped the ball to Maafula in the center of the field.
“Kama’s great assist put me in the far left post,” Marfala said.
In the 66th inning, Ige scored from the right side to give Moanalua the win (11-1-1).
Mililani’s only blemish during the regular season was a 0-0 draw against Campbell on November 29, and Moanalua’s 1-1 draw against Castle on December 10.
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