'Iolani scored its first girls soccer victory over visiting Kamehameha in three years yesterday, 3-0, and it came at a crucial time in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu title chase.

The victory dropped the defending state champion Warriors to 8-1 (24 points) in the ILH, while 'Iolani improved to 7-1-1 (22 points) with three games remaining. Punahou (7-1-1, 22 points) was idle yesterday.

"It's the best feeling, because we did it as a team," said Raiders junior midfielder Kirsty Adams, who scored the first two goals. "We wanted this win, we needed it, and we did it as a team."

Kamehameha had won the teams' first-round meeting, 2-1, and that was the only goal the Warriors had allowed in league play.

"You don't expect to beat Kamehameha 3-0," 'Iolani coach Chris Nied said. "Not by any means of the imagination."

It almost could have been 4-0.

Freshman Krystal Pascua appeared to score the first goal in the 20th minute, prompting a loud reaction from the Raiders' cheering section. But 'Iolani was instead called for a hand-ball violation, negating the goal.

Nied said the ball appeared to ricochet off Pascua's midsection, not her hands, but the lost opportunity did not bother the Raiders.

"That gave us confidence," Adams said. "We did it (score) once, so we knew we can do it again."

Fourteen minutes later, they did.

Pascua, near the right corner, sent a high-arching cross that looped over a defender in front of the goal. Adams gathered in the ball, squared herself, then shot into the left side of the net from about 12 yards out.

"I saw (Pascua) running down the wing, and I went back door behind the defender," Adams said.

Even with the 1-0 lead, the Raiders continued to press in the second half.

Adams got loose on a break in the 47th minute and was tackled in the penalty box before attempting a shot from the right flank.

She approached her penalty kick as if aiming for the left corner, drawing the keeper to lean that way, then shot it straight in.

"That's how I practiced it," Adams said.

'Iolani kept pressing, and assembled a 3-on-3 fast-break opportunity in the 68th minute. Approaching the penalty box, Kellie Murayama fed Elissa Minamishin on the right side, and Minamishin stopped with the ball, switched it to her left foot, then placed a shot just inside the back post.

Nied said he didn't want the Raiders to simply rest on their 1-0 lead in the second half.

"We had to come out strong," he said. "I didn't want us to play to protect the lead, I said we had to try to put the ball in the back of the net. And they did, they kicked it up another notch."

The Warriors took eight shots and had two corner kick opportunities, but 'Iolani keeper Lauren Brown came up with seven saves to preserve the rare shutout.

Kamehameha had entered the game with 30 goals, averaging 3.75 per outing.

"We hadn't had one bad game all season, but today we couldn't do anything right," Warriors coach Michele Nagamine said. "'Iolani played a fantastic game, and I respect their high-pressure (style). They showed team character and didn't complain (after the nullified goal), in fact it just fueled their fire even more.

"This is a tough place to play and we were just not ready. It just wasn't our day."

Read Wes Nakama's blog on prep sports at http://blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.