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Ayau, Warriors overcame rocky start to claim elusive MIL crown

The Maui News 2022-23 MIL Girls Soccer All-Stars

Bella Ayau knew what was on the line for her Kamehameha Schools Maui girls soccer team this season, but her major goals appeared to be in jeopardy less than a month before it kicked off.

Despite going to the state tournament every season since missing it in 2010, the Warriors had not won the Maui Interscholastic League title since claiming it back to back in 2013 and 2014.

As the season approached, however, a coaching change became necessary and longtime KSM boys coach Jayson Nakasone stepped in to guide the school's girls as well, with plenty of help from six key assistants.

Ayau was one of nine seniors on the Kamehameha Maui roster and the unquestioned leader.

With the chance to nail down that elusive MIL title, Ayau scored three times in a 7-0 win over Lahainaluna on Jan. 18 to get the job done.

Not surprisingly, Ayau is the choice of the league's coaches as The Maui News MIL Player of the Year.

"I don't know if it like hit me yet, but I'm really excited and super grateful," Ayau said Tuesday after learning of her award. "I don't think it fully sunk in yet, though."

Ayau signed a National Letter of Intent in November to continue her career at the University of San Francisco. She will join the last two winners of the MIL POY award -- Teani Arakawa and U'i Ka'aihue, both of King Kekaulike -- as part of a long list of MIL graduates to play NCAA Division I soccer.

"I'm super excited for what the future has to hold," Ayau said. "And just getting this honor, like being with U'i and Teani, they are such great players, it's just very exciting to me."

Ayau, a midfielder, is joined on the MIL Division I first team by five KSM teammates: Sienna Kamalani (forward), Ellie Kapua'ala (midfielder), Evalani Keawekane (defender), Maile Kehano (defender) and Kailea Tuitele (defender).

The MIL D-I first team is rounded out by Maui High's Elizabeth Bautista (forward); Baldwin's Sammi Kinoshita (midfielder) and Mia Rivera (defender); and King Kekaulike's Kaelynn Andrade (midfielder), Pua Farm (goalkeeper) and Ruby Kessler (utility).

"I'm not going to lie, it was a rocky start because we had a little problem with our coaches," Ayau said. "We got a new coach three weeks before the actual season started. It was definitely crazy, but literally the bonds that happened for some of the girls on this team is something I will take with me for the rest of my life because I think high school soccer is definitely a different feeling.

"It just feels different being able to represent and play for your school, it was just so fun and playing at states, that was one of the best moments I ever had with my team."

Ayau said the group of Nakasone -- the choice of his peers as MIL D-I Coach of the Year -- and assistants Cody Felipe, Kaitlyn Felipe, Ignacio Arcas, Eli Joaquin and Kanoe Kehano was effective after they settled in.

"Coach Jason was the main one, but we had like six other coaches that were really with us every day at practice," Ayau said. "In the beginning it was kind of odd to get used to, but going on through the season it was like you felt that the coaches were here to come out and work with you and help work with the team and it was so good."

Ayau was key to the team's success this season, Nakasone said.

"She did play one of our most important roles on the team because we like to use our midfield a lot, so she was key to that because she was always the connector, kind of like the quarterback," Nakasone said. "Our defense always looked to find her and when we did she would dictate a lot of our plays, a lot of our attack, a lot of our everything.

"She was the core decision maker on the team as far as what we do."

Nakasone said the MIL soccer season was busy for him with his duties doubled and he seems to become a bit of a player personnel director for the KSM Soccer programs.

"I'm not going to lie, it was stressful," Nakasone said. "I did rely a lot on the assistant coaches. ... They came in key when it was time, all of them did. It fell in our laps with a few weeks (left before the season) and we couldn't pass it up because it would have been some bad news for our girls season.

"It just so happened that it worked out that way and we were glad to take it on. It was fun."

Because MIL Division II teams Seabury Hall and Molokai did not play official matches against D-I teams, there is a separate D-II All-Star team this season.

The Spartans swept the six-match series with the Farmers, who rejoined the MIL for the first time in more than a decade. Seabury Hall landed nine players on the D-II All-Star team, led by MIL D-II Player of the Year Jacqueline Swartz.

Swartz, a senior forward, was joined on the MIL D-II first team by teammates Freya Carlsen (forward), Quinn Quinabo (midfielder), Po Panis-Colorado (midfielder), Sofia Connor (midfielder), Christiana Joiner (defender), Clara Miller (defender), Victoria Osborn (defender) and Ava Kreusling (goalkeeper).

Molokai is represented on the All-Star team by Kiera Len Wai-McGuire (utility), Clara Merkel (forward) and Sage-Marie Yamashita (forward).

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.