Saint Louis’ Skyler Goo scored a season-high four goals, including two on penalty kicks, as Saint Louis defeated Pac-Five 4-2 in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division II boys soccer tournament final on Saturday at the Crusaders’ field.
Saint Louis (8-2-2), which also won the regular-season title, will be the ILH’s lone representative in the eight-team HHSAA state tournament, which starts Feb. 7.
“We got one (goal) done earlier this year, we got another one done now and we have to prepare and focus and see if we can get the third one,” Crusaders coach Rick Sandry said.
Pac-Five represented the ILH in the Division II state tournament last season and advanced to the semifinals. The Crusaders reached the D-II state final in 2017 but lost to Hawaii Prep.
Goo, a senior who will play at UNLV next season, now has 21 goals for the season.
“You have to account for him,” Sandry said. “At least one person is always on him and the other defenders will always adjust, but even then, sometimes they have two marking him.”
Goo’s highlight reel play on Saturday came in the 56th minute when he intercepted a pass by Pac-Five about 40 yards out and dribbled around and through three Wolfpack players before burying a shot into the goal from 12 yards out. The score put the Crusaders ahead 2-1.
“The kid passed a bad ball back and I just started going with the wind and I just cut back and I caught them off-foot and put it away,” Goo said.
Goo scored on penalty kicks in the 35th and 65th minutes. On both occasions, he drew fouls in the penalty box.
The first penalty kick, which tied the game at 1-1, came when contact was made in front of the goal on a throw-in by Saint Louis’ Nick LaManna.
The second PK was awarded when Goo was taken down in the box by the Pac-Five goalkeeper. Goo’s conversion made it 3-1.
The Wolfpack (5-5-2) got within one goal when Ethan Ferry converted a penalty kick in the 81st minute. Ferry also scored on a penalty kick in the 30th.
“We tried to do short passing and pass and move and get down the field and try to get some goal-scoring opportunities,” Pac-Five coach Robert Smock said. “We had some opportunities today, but they outscored us.”
Saint Louis sealed the victory on a breakaway goal by Goo off an assist by Zian Farias in the 87th minute.
“He’s very fast, he’s very crafty and he knows the game really well,” Smock said of Goo. “I hope he does well in college and I don’t have to deal with him anymore.”
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