WAILUKU — Ellie Kapuaala and her Kamehameha Schools Maui girls soccer team have been checking off to-do boxes all season long.

On Saturday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium, the Warriors checked off the biggest one to date by clinching their second straight Maui Interscholastic League Division I crown and fourth in school history.

Kapuaala scored twice to lead the Warriors to a 3-0 win over Baldwin. The victory officially clinched the MIL title for the 9-0-2 Warriors — it was a convincing result against the Bears, who fell to 7-4-0 and are headed to the state tournament as the MIL runner-up.

The Warriors won back-to-back MIL titles for the first time since doing so in 2013-2014.

Kapuaala scored in the 20th and 54th minutes, while Samantha Abernathy added the final tally in the 66th minute.

“It’s nice, it’s nice to take something home for the school, something we haven’t done in nine years,” said Kapuaala, a senior center midfielder/forward who has signed to continue her soccer career at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. “Second one, hopefully this is the start of a legacy that we can keep building and take the title home next year. I’m just proud to be a part of it.”

The Warriors advanced to the state final four last season and they know they will now be back in the quarterfinals on Jan. 31 at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex.

“Obviously Oahu is the top dogs of the state, but everyone kind of forgets about Maui and the Big Island and these outer islands, but I want to prove to, like everyone, that Maui can play,” Kapuaala said. “I’m just waiting, the universe makes us play (Kamehameha) Kapalama, so I’m ready to play them, ready to play Punahou and Mililani and all the big dogs.

“I just want to make a statement that we’re here to play.”

First-year Kamehameha Maui head coach Eli Joaquin is thankful for the competitors he has on his squad. Three Kapuaala sisters on the Warriors roster — Ellie, sophomore Mishalei and freshman Kulia — are the daughters of Baldwin assistant coach Vernon Kapuaala.

“These girls work hard day in and day out, I’ll be honest with you,” Joaquin said. “It’s been a while since I’ve coached a team where I have to wait for them after my practice is over. That’s rare. Back to back is not easy in a league like this. You’ve got to get up there.

“The soccer family on Maui is big. Everybody knows I’ve got three (daughters) of one of the coaches over there playing for me. … So, I’ve got to say my hats off to them. I’m just reaping results of what other people have done and I’m just humble to be here.”

With the state tournament on the horizon, Joaquin said: “You can write this if you want to or not, but we’re going to take the level of training up a level. We’re going to go harder than we’ve ever done.”

Baldwin head coach Dave Mena said his team can use its final MIL match against Maui High, which will serve as Baldwin’s senior night, to tune up some things prior to hosting a first-round state match against a team from the Oahu Interscholastic Association on Jan. 29.

The Bears will be making their first state appearance since 2017.

“We’ve got some regrouping that we need to do,” Mena said. “Again, the mental state, confidence going into it. We can’t afford to let down, especially going into states.”

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.

MIL GIRLS SOCCER STANDINGS

DIVISION I

W L T Pts

y-Kamehameha Maui 9 0 2 29

x-Baldwin 7 4 0 21

King Kekaulike 5 3 3 18

Maui High 3 7 1 10

Lahainaluna 0 10 0 0

DIVISION II

W L T Pts

y-Seabury Hall 4 0 0 12

Molokai 0 4 0 0

x-clinched state tournament spot; y-clinched league championship

Saturday’s Results

Seabury Hall 12, Molokai 1

Kamehameha Maui 3, Baldwin 0

Wednesday’s Game

Kamehameha Maui at Lahainaluna, 5 p.m.