Each Monday, GoSwords.com will publish "This Week in 'Swords History presented by Big City Diner" which looks back at significant events and some of the memorable games that helped shape Chaminade University Athletics into what it is today.
Darren Smith
Sept. 2, 2006: Men's Soccer Makes Intercollegiate Debut
Men's soccer has a long history at Chaminade dating back to 1971. As a club sport, the Silverswords played various organizations from around O'ahu. In the 1980s, they played in the Hawai'i Collegiate League which featured Hawai'i Pacific College, Hawai'i Loa College, the University of Hawai'i-Manoa and the community colleges in the UH system, winning the league crown in 1986.
The sport became an intercollegiate program upon Pacific West Conference expansion with the addition of Grand Canyon and Notre Dame de Namur in March 2006.
On Sept. 2, the 'Swords made its intercollegiate debut against Embry-Riddle University (Ariz.) at Saint Louis Field with goalkeeper
Darren Smith making nine saves for Chaminade
Although the Silverswords dropped a 2-0 decision that day, it laid the foundation for success over a decade later which resulted in back-to-back winning seasons in 2018 and '19.
