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Bears edge Lunas 10-8 to wrap up state tourney spot

By Robert Collias 4 min read

KIHEI -- Keanna Campbell and her Baldwin High School girls water polo teammates reached a destination that seemed so far away over the COVID-19 shutdown that wiped out the last two Maui Interscholastic League seasons.

Baldwin outlasted Lahainaluna in a dramatic 10-8 victory in front of a packed house at the Kihei Aquatic Center on Tuesday -- the win wrapped up a berth in the Stanford Carr Development/HHSAA state tournament for the Bears.

The game was a championship playoff for the MIL regular-season title after both teams finished with 7-1 records, splitting their season series.

"It's so amazing," Campbell said after scoring two important goals. "Our whole team was getting so emotional. That last quarter was so emotional for us. You could feel the passion in all of our bodies and when we get that ball, it's just a good time."

Campbell is a senior who has been playing the sport for years, including spending time with her club team working out and playing matches in the Pacific Ocean during the summer of 2020 when public pools were closed due to COVID.

Tuesday's game was tied at 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5 until Campbell gave the Bears a lead they would not relinquish with a goal early in the fourth quarter, with 6 minutes, 40 seconds to play.

The Bears upped the lead to 7-5 with a goal by Lexie Castillo off an assist from Aaliyah Kahoohanohano-Davis with 5:50 to play. The Lunas closed within 7-6 on a long shot by Olivia Fukushima just 14 seconds later.

The Bears again upped the lead to two goals when Mikela De Aguiar, who finished with a a match-high five goals, scored on a breakaway with 2:56 to go.

The Lunas closed within a goal two more times, the final on a power-play goal with 23 seconds left by Maile Cacal.

With the 35-second shot clock off, the Bears successfully played keep-away for the final possession until Kylee Takeda scored from close range at the buzzer.

"Oh, they are super tough, we have so much respect for them," Campbell said of the Lunas. "Like, they're a really good team, very good defense, very strong shooters and it was a fight."

Campbell feels the games between these two will have the Bears prepared for the state tournament.

"Yeah, definitely, I think Lahainaluna and Baldwin need each other," Campbell said. "We wouldn't be as good as we are without them."

Now, Campbell and the Bears get to return to the state tournament for the first time since 2019 when they finished sixth.

Campbell will attend Dixie State University in Utah and plans to play for the school's club water polo team. First, the state tournament in early May is on her mind.

"Oh my gosh, we're so excited, it's my senior year, my last year at states," Campbell said. "I'm ready to go to Oahu's pool and just fire that ball."

Baldwin coach Lauren Shinozuka knows that her team still has work to do, starting this week in the MIL tournament. The Bears are the No. 1 seed for the MIL tournament -- in Friday's semifinals, they will play the winner of Thursday's Kamehameha Maui-Seabury Hall match.

"We prepared for this game and the Lunas obviously came in very prepared, too," Shinozuka said. "So, it was a great game, a really great challenge I think for both teams to push ourselves. Really wonderful way for us to end the season. No matter who won, it was a well-fought game."

Shinozuka gave credit to her coaching staff -- co-head coach Arielle Obrero, assistants Rebecca Buenrostro-Gallimore, Jordan Helle and Olivia Takakura.

"We're not the team we are without our coaching staff," Shinozuka said.

Lahainaluna assistant coach Bradley Mason, a former head coach for the program, said his team will bounce back and hopes to see the Bears again. The Lunas play No. 3 seed King Kekaulike in the tournament semifinals on Friday.

"For a long, long time now, it's always a battle for the Lunas, Bears, we know that," Mason said. "Still some more games to be played, but we're hoping to get another opportunity to play them in the finals, for sure."

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.

Baldwin 2 1 2 5--10

Lahainaluna 2 2 1 3-- 8

Goal scorers--Baldwin: Mikela De Aguiar 5, Keanna Campbell 2, Olivia Fukushima, Kylee Takeda, Lexie Castillo; Lahainaluna: Healani Kanekoa 2, Puliki Rogers 2, Maile Cacal 2, Tara Zamani, Zhi Clark.

Starting at /week.