WAIPAHU — Readjusting it's play in the second half, Pac-Five received an opportunity to defend its title.

Playing with more intensity and finding the net in the second half, defending champion and No. 3 Pac-Five defeated No. 2 Kapa'a, 2-0, in yesterday's semifinals of the JN Automotive Group/Hawai'i High School Athletic Association Girls Soccer Division II State Championships at the Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Complex. The game was a rematch of last year's championship game.

Pac-Five (6-6-2) will face top-seeded Kailua (12-0-0) in today's 5 p.m. championship game. Both the Division II and Division I title games will be shown live statewide on OC-16.

"We told them to play wide," Pac-Five coach Eddie Wong said. "Kapa'a was giving us the outsides so that's why we kept playing the flags."

Kendal Kagawa headed in a throw-in by C'era Oliveira in the 42nd minute to put the Wolfpack up 1-0. From about 10 yards out, Oliveira threw in the ball from the left sideline into Kagawa at the center of the box.

"We did it yesterday, her throws are perfect," Kagawa said. "She can throw it and I know she can get it there."

In the 52nd minute, Ashley Haruki sent in a goal from about 30 yards out.

"We changed the game a little bit more," Wong said. "We didn't play as much possession as we wanted to, but we were sending the balls and making them run more, and that helped us out. We had more opportunities on the outside and the other thing was we had the wind at our back."

The Warriors (9-1-0) controlled the ball in the first half, but couldn't convert a half-dozen corner kicks — some which just missed.

"We let them get to it first and they had the wind in the first half, too," Kagawa said. "Once they have the wind, the ball just floats back and we had a hard time clearing it up."

NO. 1 KAILUA 1, KAUA'I 0

Heeding their co-coach's advice to keep shooting, the Surfriders finally broke through in a semifinal win over the Red Raiders.

"It's amazing, it's really like the best feeling," said senior Danielle Galveso, one of the team's captains. "Our team really does deserve it, especially after the circumstance we've been through with our coach. It just gave us more heart."

Kailua co-head coach Wil Kimura died from a heart attack in December.

Kailua attacked the entire game, but couldn't convert until Marisa Yoshida's goal in the 49th minute in front of a crowd of about 100.

"Our coaches kept telling us keep pushing, keep pushing, keep taking shots," Galveso said. "We did notice the goalie was way up and there was a big gap between the defender and the goalie (so) we've got to keep taking shots."

Kailua co-coach Malu Afong substituted throughout the second half to give players a rest and to counter the speed of the Red Raiders (6-5-0).

CONSOLATION

KAMEHAMEHA-HAWAI'I 4, HONOKA'A 1

Goal scorers—KSH: Haunani Tomas 2, Kera Akiyama, Natasha Ah Chong. Hon: Kimberly Kishimoto.

HAWAI'I PREP 4, MAKUA LANI 0

Goal scorers—HPA: Ku'uipo Nakoa 2, Noelani Enos, Jah'nae Ayoso-Purdy.