HONOLULU – Asking to replace your all-time leading scorer and all-time wins leaders in the same season would be a lot to ask for most teams.
But for the Chaminade University women's soccer squad, it is just an opportunity for others to start creating a new legacy.
Sixteen returnees and 12 newcomers comprise the 2019 Silverswords who will finally get to see the results after their first three weeks of fall practice this Saturday at Saint Louis Field.
Their first test, however, won't be easy as their season-opening opponent is Dallas Baptist, the 17th-ranked team in the nation which played in the NCAA South Central Region final a year ago. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. It's just the second time ever the program will face a nationally-ranked foe and first since Oct. 2010 when BYU-Hawai'i was ranked seventh.
"We're looking forward to our game against Dallas Baptist and using it to incorporate the new players to our team culture and system of play," said seventh-year head coach
Michelle Richardson. "This will be a great way to get competition and iron out any kinks that we find before we get into PacWest Conference play."
It doesn't get any easier with the losses of
Caitlin Tatemichi and
Brandee Lane, the career leaders in goals and wins, respectively, who both exhausted their eligibility last year.
However not all is lost. The return of junior forward
Randi Fontes (Wahiawa, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Hawai'i-Manoa/Pearl City), who led the 'Swords with four goals and earned a place on the All-Pacific West Conference Third Team last year, is vital.
Joining Fontes as returning starters in the attacking spots are seniors
Jordan Taboniar (Anahola, Kaua'i, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama) and
Cierra Toledo-Muragin (Hilo, Hawai'i/Waiakea) along with junior
Breanna-Leigh Bactista (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani).
Asya Holt (Honolulu/Roosevelt), who started five of the team's first seven games before being lost to a season-ending injury last year, also returns.
A big question mark is who replaces Lane at goalkeeper. There was fierce competition between returnees
Rachel Arakawa (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kaiser) and
Alexis Chang-Takayama (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Castle) as well as freshman
Naomi Takata (Honolulu/Pearl City). The decision of whom gets the nod may be determined at game time.
Whomever the new starting keeper will be, she will have the luxury of an experienced group of defenders in front. Led by senior
Kirstin Wong (Laguna Nigel, Calif./Aliso Niguel), Chaminade's defense helped allow 1.71 goals per game, the third-fewest in program history.
Wong has been a constant presence and enters the year with 2,003 consecutive minutes played, a streak of 21 straight starts without being subbed out.
Along with Wong, fellow defenders
Kyla Takazono (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) and
Dayna Nishimura (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) are returning starters who help to patrol the backfield.
Joining the team this season are 10 freshmen position players while junior
Tiare Kahalewai (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Saint Martin's Univ./Mililani HS) is a transfer with Division II playing experience.
"We return a strong core of motivated and talented student-athletes who have excelled on the field and in the classroom," Richardson said." In addition to our returning players, we have picked up a great group of freshmen who are already working very hard and pushing the level of play further and further every day."
The schedule features non-conference clashes against local PacWest rivals Hawai'i Pacific (Sept. 26) and Hawai'i Hilo (Oct. 4) with their conference opener coming against Notre Dame de Namur on Sunday, Oct. 6 at Saint Louis Field. Their mainland travel takes them to Southern California where each school in the region comprises the top four of the Preseason PacWest Coaches poll.
"With 86 percent of our roster coming from Hawai'i high schools, we're looking forward to the increased support from our local community as it's a major pillar of all the hard work we do at Chaminade," Richardson said.
