Maui United boys fall short of advancing
REDMOND, Wash. - A 5-0 victory in their final match of group play on Monday wasn't enough for the Maui United 96 boys to advance at the U.S. Club Soccer Seattle Regional.
The win left Maui United deadlocked across the board on all tie-breakers for second place and a berth in the under-14 final. That forced Maui United to square off with Northwest Nationals of Washington about 90 minutes later in a penalty kick shootout, with Northwest outscoring Maui United 3-2.
Juaquin Navarro-Bourne and Lily Higashino converted their attempts for Maui United, while goalkeeper Carin Nakamoto saved one of Northwest's attempts.
''It was a heart-breaking ending for a strong run by a team that improved with each game,'' Maui United coach Fred Guzman said. ''We didn't lose a game in the tournament, winning twice and tying once, but we still came up short. And that hurts.''
In the earlier match, Maui United led Crossfire-Hattrup 95 of Washington 1-0 at halftime on a fourth-minute goal by Rhys Lendio off a free kick by Kailoa Akoi.
Knowing that it needed a batch of goals to keep alive its hopes for a berth in the finals, Maui United went into full attack mode in the second half and scored four times after the break.
Three minutes after intermission, Navarro-Bourne blasted a 22-yard shot on a sequence that started with Lendio's throw-in and a pass by Chandler Alo.
A pair of driven corner kicks by Higashino in the 46th and 52nd minutes caromed off Crossfire defenders and ended up in the back of Crossfire's net. Jarren Otani's 25-yard blast with one minute left gave Maui United its fifth goal.
Meanwhile, the Maui United U16 girls played to a 0-0 tie with Northwest Nationals 93 in their final match.
Both teams will next take part in the Portland Cup, which opens a three-day run on Saturday.
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Lanakila U18 off to national championship
WAILUKU - The Lanakila Volleyball Academy's boys 18-and-under team depart today for the USA Volleyball Boys' Junior National Championships in Austin, Texas.
The Maui team, entered in the club division, play Friday through Sunday, with the top teams advancing to the finals on July 5.
Team members are Nathan Brandes, Josh Chapple, Hinano Delima, Rocky DeLyon, John Eddins, Justyn Kuhaulua-Feiteira, Pono Frietas, CJ Rilveria, Connor Snow, Alex Wright, Kuakea Yasak, Kapena Kaiwi, Kemamo Kaupe Hanchett, Mark Walker and Dylan Hamilton.
Coaches are Bubba and Gimi Thibodeaux.
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King Kekaulike girls volleyball meeting set
PUKALANI - The King Kekaulike High School athletic director and girls volleyball coaching staff will be holding a preseason meeting for students interested in participating in the program.
The meeting is scheduled for July 6 at 6 p.m. at the school gym. Required athletic forms, tryout information and schedules, and fitness schedules will be distributed.
For more information, call 344-9810 or 757-0112.
