If history is any indication, one of the state water polo semifinals will be a blowout and the other will come down to the wire.
Punahou and Kapolei tangle at 5:15 p.m. at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Center for one spot in the final and Kamehameha and Kahuku play for the other spot after them.
The Buffanblu and Hurricanes have met four times in the state tournament, and it has not been pretty for the public school. Punahou beat Kapolei 12-3 last year, 12-4 in 2013, 15-1 in 2012 and 16-2 in 2008.
The nightcap should be a lot closer than that.
The Warriors have beaten the Red Raiders all three times they have met in the state tournament, but they have all been close. Kamehameha beat Kahuku 7-3 in 2012, 5-4 in 2011 and 8-5 in 2008.
Plus there is the not-so-simple matter that an ILH team has lost to an OIA team only once in the entire tournament’s history, and Kahuku pulled that trick with a win over Iolani in 2013.
Kapolei or Kahuku will have a change to make it happen twice.
Two other things the Red Raiders have going for them is sisters Nohea and Kahea Kahaulelio. Nohea is 11th all-time with 16 goals in winner’s bracket games after scoring four on Thursday, and Kahea is 18th with 14 tallies after matching her sister against Roosevelt.
They are the leading active goal scorers, but they are not going to threaten record holder Nanea Fujiyama of Kamehameha, who scored 36 goals in three tournaments from 2006-2009.
Koolby Kahawai is Kamehameha’s leading threat with five goals in two matches.
Thursday’s results:
Kapolei 8, KS-Hawaii 5
Kamehameha-Hawaii – #5 Katelyn Kubo (1), #12 Pua Wong (1), #16 Alyssa Pelanca (2) & #19 Halia Nahale-a (1)
Kapolei – #3 Leilani Herrera (3), #7 Corilynn Higa (1), #9 Mailani Wendt (3) & #12 Taylor Goeas (1)
Kahuku 19, Kalani 5
Kahaku: #2 India Pyzel (4), #3 Kayli Clifford (1), #4 Ava Countryman (2), #7 Kahea Kahaulelio (4), #8 Makenna Beck (1), #10 Isabella Walker (1), #16 Lilli Lindgard (1), #17 Kahea Pirrone (1) & #21 Nohea Kahaulelio (4)
Kalani: #7 Lisa Namatame (5)
Punahou 16, Roosevelt 3
Punahou: #2 Kelly Fricke (4), #3 Natassia Dunn (2), #4 Robbie Bickerton (1), #5 Micaela Kauhane (1), #6 Emma Choy (2), #7 Madison Meister (1) #10 Cory Ruotola (1), #11 Saki Migliorato (1), #12 Anuhea Ledesma (1) & #13 Malia Gacutan (2)
Roosevelt: #5 Brianne Tengan, #7 Atumn Akia (1) & #10 Sarah Yasuda (1)
Kamehameha 17, Lahainaluna 4
Lahainalua- #4 Lalelei Mataafa (3) & #7 Julia Bianco (1)
Kamehameha – #3 Kiana St. Onge (1), #5 Mariah Ng (1), #6 Kaylee Leong (2), #8 Madison Kauahi (2), #12 La’akea Dedrick (2), #14 Kayla Ganir (2), #15 Kolby Kahahawai (3), #16 Payton Bosque (2), #17 Kaylen Nitahara (1) & #18 Cayla Moore (1)
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