HONOLULU – The Chaminade University men's soccer team returned home for the first time in over two weeks and gave Notre Dame de Namur all they could handle before falling 2-1 Thursday at windy Saint Louis Field.
Esteban Beruman, the Pacific West Conference's second-leading goal scorer, broke a 1-1 tie with an improbable 50-yard kick in the 65
th minute to help lead the Argonauts.
NDNU, which is ranked eighth in the first NCAA West Region rankings released earlier this week, improved to 11-1-1 overall and 7-1-1 in the PacWest.
The Silverswords fell to 3-7-1 and 2-6-1.
As winds blew near 25 miles per hour with gusts up to 40 and the wind at his back, Beruman launched a rainbow shot from 50 yards out. The blustery winds helped carry the ball over the outstretched arms of drawn-in Chaminade goalkeeper
Bernd Buescherhoff (Steinfeld, Germany/Gymnasium Lohne) and landed just inside the crossbar for what proved to be the game-winner, Beruman's 12
th goal of the season.
The 'Swords had an opportunity for the equalizer in the 73
rd minute but a laser from
Nick Kraus (Torrance, Calif./South) caromed off the NDNU crossbar.
NDNU was able to survive Chaminade's attacks despite being a man down in the second half due to a red card.
CUH struck first in the 25
th minute on a goal from
Jaewon Huh (Aiea, Hawai'i/Aiea).
Makoto Shoji (Okinawa, Japan/Rio Hondo College) fired a perfect through-ball to Huh who then ripped a shot past charging NDNU keeper Javier Santana. Huh's first goal of the season gave the 'Swords a 1-0 lead at halftime.
NDNU tied it less than four minutes into the second half on a perfectly-executed corner kick to Moises Claudio who headed the ball into the net.
From there, both squads jostled for good shots before Beruman's go-ahead shot.
NDNU took seven shots, six on-goal while Chaminade had 11, four on-goal.
Curtis Coburn (Huntington Beach, Calif./Huntington Beach) attempted five of the 'Swords' shots.
Santana got the win with three saves while Buescherhoff made four stops.
The Silverswords are back on the pitch Monday when they host Dominican University of California at Saint Louis Field. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m.
