Hilo’s Kalamanamana Harman was just trying to help out her goalkeeper, Saydee Bactad.
It just so happens that she did it three times in the span of about 10 seconds.
On an attack by Pearl City’s Randi Fontes down the right wing, a bounding ball eluded Bactad, so Harman ran toward the goal line and backpedaled a bit before knocking the ball out before it crossed the line. The ball, however, went right to the foot of the Chargers’ Jenise Starr-Tagalog, who let go a booming shot that Harman blocked with her body. The ball caromed out to Pearl City’s Daelenn Tokunaga, who got a foot on it and it pinballed off others before bouncing high toward the goal line. This time, while facing the goal, Harman bicycle kicked it up high and Bactad came over to catch it, ending the threat.
Both Harman and Bactad are freshman for the Vikings, who wound up losing in the Division I girls soccer state tournament quarterfinals Thursday night at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.
“I’m not really that surprised,” Hilo coach Skee Saplan said about Harman’s series of defensive stops. “She gives everything to make it happen, and it happened so fast — like three goal-line clearances in a row.”
As for Bactad, who made 12 saves in the game, many of them dangerous Pearl City chances, Saplan said, “She’s only a freshman and she’s started for us pretty much all season. Imagine what she’ll be doing the next two to three years.”
Harman was all smiles after the game, leaving no clue that her team had just lost a 3-0 match.
“It’s (the state tourmament) new to me, but I just love playing,” she said.
About the three stops, she added, “We thought they were going to shoot far out, but the girl dribbled instead. Our keeper ran into it but couldn’t handle the ball. The keeper (Bactad) always has our back, so I just went to the goal and never thought about it. I got too much of a soft touch (on the first one), then blocked it with my stomach and then bicycled it back out.”
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