HONOLULU – Sunday was historic for the Chaminade University women's soccer team. It was the first-ever live video stream of a home game at Saint Louis Field. It was also a historic game in the win column.
The Silverswords, who last season let a two-goal lead slip away against Notre Dame de Namur, reversed the outcome this year with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over the Argonauts on Sunday in Chaminade's Pacific West Conference opener
Breanna-Leigh Bactista (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) hit the game-winner just 29 seconds into the second half to give the 'Swords their first-ever victory over the Argonauts, the longest-tenured mainland school in the PacWest.
Chaminade was winless with two ties in the previous 16 meetings against NDNU which joined the PacWest in 2006. It included last year's heartbreaker which saw the 'Swords open a 2-0 lead in Belmont, Calif., before the Argos scored three straight including the game-winner in overtime.
Bactista's goal, her first of the season, came after
Randi Fontes (Wahiawa, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Univ. of Hawai'i-Manoa/Pearl City HS) made a pin-point knee-pass through three converging Argo defenders to an open spot on the pitch. Bactista broke through and suddenly found nothing between her and NDNU goalkeeper Alexis Aguilar. The junior midfielder then fired a shot which deflected off Aguilar and into the net for the go-ahead score.
From there, the 'Swords managed to contain the Argos with goalkeeper
Naomi Takata (Honolulu/Pearl City) who faced seven shots while making four saves in the second half.
NDNU broke the ice with in the first minute with a goal from Samantha Sanchez on a perfectly-placed shot towards the upper-left shelf off a free-kick from 25 yards out.
However the 'Swords had an immediate response. On the ensuing kickoff 20 seconds later,
Kirstin Wong (Laguna Niguel, Calif./Aliso Niguel) found Fontes down the middle of the attacking zone. The junior then launched a shot which found the back of the net which tied the game at 1. It was Wong's first career assist and Fontes' second goal of the year. The score, coming at 2:04, was also the second-fastest goal to start a game in program history. Of the seven fastest goals logged in the team's record books, Fontes owns three of them.
Takata made eight saves total to pick up her first career win. Aguilar took the loss. Fontes attempted a team-high four shots for the 'Swords while Bactista and
Asya Holt (Honolulu/Roosevent) attempted two each.
Chaminade improved to 1-1-2 and 1-0 in the PacWest while NDNU fell to 4-3-2 and 1-1 in the conference.
The Silverswords return to the Saint Louis Field pitch on Saturday when they face Hawai'i Pacific University in a rematch of a non-conference game played on Sept. 26. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m.
