HONOLULU – The Chaminade University men's soccer team was hoping to end their home stand on a high note before heading into only first conference mainland trip of the year.
Instead Dominican University spoiled the party Saturday with a 3-2 upset over the Silverswords at Saint Louis Field on a go-ahead goal in the 74th minute.
The Silverswords suffered their first Pacific West Conference loss of the season, dropping to 5-3 on the year and 3-1 in the conference.
The Penguins improved to 3-7-1 and 2-3 in the PacWest.
The finish has been all too familiar for 'Swords fans facing the Penguins in recent years. Since former CUH head coach Zach Kingsley bolted for Dominican to take the same position just two weeks before the start of the 2015 season, Chaminade has gone 0-4-1 against DUC with three of the losses coming in the final 16 minutes including Saturday's defeat.
DUC's Eddie Silverbush scored twice including the game-winner.
Trailing 2-0 in the second half, Chaminade's
Kelton Cheney (State College, Pa./Penn State/State College HS) scored his first goal of the season – his first since 2012 as a freshman at Penn State – which to put Chaminade on the board. The score was set up by a brilliant pass by
Colin Roemer (Cologne, Germany/Barton CC/Wirtschaftgymnasium Westerburg) to crossed it to Cheney in the middle of the box.
The 'Swords then tied it less than five minutes later when Roemer scored on a penalty kick.
However Dominican got the eventual winner when Maxwell Ward's shot was deflected by Chaminade goalkeeper
Michael Stafford (Honolulu/Iowa Western CC/Kalani HS). The ball went right to Silverbush to stuck in the putback.
Roemer fired two shots on target while
Reece Hambly (Birmingham, England/Scottsdale CC/Hagley HS) had another in the final 15 minutes but Dominican net minder Ruben Raygoza stopped all three potential game-tying kicks.
Roemer's scoring binge continued for Chaminade. The JUCO transfer's goal gives him six on the year, tying him with Nicolas Ferro (2014) for second-most in a single season. Roemer is also just two goals away from
Sam Galloway's single-season record of eight set in 2012. His goal and assist gives him 13 points on the season which is also tied for second-most in a single season with Ferro and Makoto Shoji (2017).
The Silverswords will embark on their only conference road trip of the season to the always-challenging Southern California region of the PacWest next week which has all sorts of postseason implications. All four opponents make up the upper quarter of the conference standings including their first opponent of the trip, Concordia Irvine on Saturday, Oct. 26. The 'Swords and Eagles are tied for third in the conference standings.
The trip will also feature a date at Azusa Pacific, the No. 1-ranked squad in Division II, on Nov. 2.
