Kealia Ohai

Kealia Ohai
Ohai in starting lineup for Houston Dash, July 2014
Personal information
Full name Kealia Mae Ohai
Date of birth (1992-01-31) January 31, 1992
Place of birth Draper, Utah, United States
Height 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Playing position Midfielder / Forward
Club information
Current team
 Houston Dash
Number 7
Youth career
2000–2010 Avalanche Soccer Club
2006–2010 Alta High School
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2013 North Carolina Tar Heels
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014– Houston Dash 91 (26)
National team‡
2010 United States U-17
2009–2012 United States U-20 24 (8)
2013 United States U-23 2 (0)
2016– United States 3 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 August 2018
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 13 November 2017

Kealia Mae Ohai (/keɪˈliːə/ kay-LEE-ə; born January 31, 1992) is an American soccer player. She captains the Houston Dash and is a member of the United States women's national soccer team. She scored the single winning goal in the final match of the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup; the only goal Germany conceded in the entire tournament. After a breakthrough in the second half of the 2016 National Women's Soccer League season where she scored 11 goals in 10 games, Ohai earned her first call up for the United States Women's National Soccer Team.

Early life

Ohai was born to Ben and Cindy Ohai and raised in Draper, Utah. Her sister, Megan, is a former youth national team member who played soccer at USC where she won the 2007 NCAA championship.[1] Her father, who is Hawaiian, named her after Kealia Beach on the island of Kauai.[2]

Ohai, who graduated from Alta High School in June 2010, was a four-year varsity soccer player at the school.[3] She led the team to four straight state soccer championships from 2006-2009. She was a two-time Gatorade state player of the year, three-time first-team high school All-America, three-time All-State selection, three-time 5A soccer MVP, and the 2010 NSCAA National High School Player of the year.[3][4] In June 2010, she earned Parade All-American honors.[5]

As a youth, Ohai also played club soccer for the Utah Avalanche. With the team, she won state title four times.[6]

North Carolina Tar Heels, 2010-2013

A four-year starter with the Tar Heels from 2010 to 2013, Ohai was a member of the 2012 championship-winning team.[7][8] She was named the tournament's most outstanding offensive player after scoring the game-winning goal during overtime in the semi-final[9][10] and the first goal of the final in the second minute of the match.[7][11]

Following her freshman year playing for the Tar Heels, Ohai was named to the First-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and ACC All-Freshman Team. She led the team in scoring with 14 goals and started 22 of the team's 24 games.[6] During her sophomore year, she started in all 20 games in which she played. She scored six goals, including a team high of 3 game-winning goals and served six assists.[3][6] In her third year with the Tar Heels, Ohai led the team in points (23) and goals (9).[3]

Club Career

Houston Dash, 2014-

July 26, 2014; Julie Johnston and Kealia Ohai in Chicago Red Stars vs Houston Dash

Ohai was selected as the second overall pick in the 2014 NWSL College Draft by the Houston Dash as the expansion team's very first college draft pick.[12][13] Of her draft selection, Dash head coach Randy Waldrum said, "I couldn't have asked for things to fall into place so well. It was an amazing day for the Dash. Starting with the selection of Kealia Ohai, we got one of the nation’s best forwards. She has great pace, is extremely athletic, and can really stretch defenses with her speed."[14]

She became the club's captain midway through the 2016 season, which coincided with a scoring streak which saw her net 11 goals in 10 games and make a late bid for the golden boot. She was beaten on an assist tie-break by Lynn Williams.

Ohai tore her ACL during the 2017 season.

International Career

Ohai (7) with the U.S. team at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Japan, 2012.

A member of the U.S. youth national programs from the age of 13,[2] Ohai has played with the under-15, under-17, under-18, under-20, and the under-23 teams.[15][16] As a member of the 2012 US U-20 Women's National Team, she won the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and scored the game-winning goal in the 44th minute of the final to lead the U.S. to victory over Germany.[17][18][19]

Ohai made her international debut for the senior team on October 23, 2016 against Switzerland in a friendly match in Minneapolis. She scored 48 seconds after entering the match as a substitute in the 81st minute, setting a record for the fastest goal in a US women's national team debut.[20]

Ohai received a call-up in July 2018 to the United States Women's National Team training camp for the 2018 Tournament of Nations, this marked her first call-up since injuring her knee in 2017. She did not make the final roster for the tournament. [21]

Personal life

Ohai's brother-in-law is NFL player Brian Cushing, who last played for the Houston Texans.[22][23] Ohai is legally blind in her right eye.[24]

Ohai is in a relationship with JJ Watt.[25]

Honors

College

University of North Carolina

International

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Megan Ohai Profile". USC Trojans. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  2. 1 2 "Pretty Name, Dynamic Game". US Soccer. 2012-08-26. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Kealia Ohai Biography". University of North Carolina. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  4. ↑ "High school sports: Kealia Ohai named national player of the year". Deseret News. June 16, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  5. ↑ Oram, Bill (June 15, 2010). "Alta's Kealia Ohai named to Parade's All America team". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 "Kealia Ohai". United States Soccer Federation. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  7. 1 2 "UNC women win 21st soccer title". ESPN. Associated Press. December 6, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  8. ↑ Hays, Graham (December 3, 2012). "WINNING 21ST TITLE NO EASY FEAT FOR N. CAROLINA". ESPN. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Kealia Ohai scores at 5:53 of the second OT to lift North Carolina to 1-0 win over Stanford". Fox News. December 1, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Ohai lifts North Carolina past Stanford in 2OT". Boston Herald. December 1, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  11. ↑ "North Carolina wins 21st NCAA women's soccer crown". USA Today. Associated Press. December 3, 2012.
  12. ↑ Ortiz, Jose de Jesus (January 17, 2014). "Dash get a dose of speed with UNC's Ohai". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Tar Heels Dunn, Ohai go No. 1-2 in women's pro soccer draft". Herald Sun. January 17, 2014. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Houston Dash select Kealia Ohai, Rafaelle Souza, Marissa Diggs and Jordan Jackson in 2014 NWSL College Draft". Houston Dynamo. January 17, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Kealia Ohai". US Soccer. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  16. ↑ "2013 Statistics". US Soccer. Archived from the original on 2013-07-27. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  17. ↑ "U.S. Women Win U-20 World Cup". New York Times. September 8, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  18. ↑ "FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Japan 2012 - USA 1:0 (1:0) Germany - Report". FIFA. 2012-09-08. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  19. ↑ "U.S. women beat Germany 1-0 to win U-20 World Cup". USA Today. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Lloyd leads USA to 5-1 win vs. Switzerland on record-setting day in Minneapolis". US Soccer. October 23, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  21. ↑ "ELLIS CALLS 25 TO TRAINING CAMP AHEAD OF 2018 TOURNAMENT OF NATIONS". July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Dash use No. 2 pick on Kealia Ohai, sister-in-law of Brian Cushing". Houston Chronicle. 2014-01-17. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  23. ↑ Kassouf, Jeff (January 17, 2014). "Kealia Ohai lands in Houston, where family awaits". Equalizer Soccer. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  24. ↑ Ortiz, Jose de Jesus (May 13, 2014). "Ohai's vision a nonissue with Dash". Houston Chronicle. Houston. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  25. ↑ "J.J. Watt sends love to Kealia Ohai ahead of return from ACL injury". April 23, 2018.
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