WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The history books will show that the Hawai'i Pacific University women's soccer team claimed the fourth and final meeting against Chaminade University in 2021, taking a 1-0 victory on Sunday, and that HPU will carry that memory into 2022.
However, those same history texts will also show that the Silverswords won the series against the Sharks in the 2021 calendar year, with two wins and a draw mixed in.
Playing at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium, the state's premier soccer pitch, for the first time since 2018 and just the second time in program history, the defeat saw Chaminade's two-game winning streak snapped. The game was also a conference meeting (the Sept. 25 matchup won by the 'Swords was non-conference), dropping Chaminade to 1-1 in the Pacific West Conference and 3-3 overall. It also gave two points to HPU in the resumption of the PacWest Hawai'i Challenge, which was not held during the shortened spring season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the 79th minute, a deflected shot in the front of the Chaminade net and the ensuing scrum saw HPU's Caylie Uyema in the right place at the right time, sticking a shot from near point blank range near the left post for what would be the game's lone goal.
The 'Swords nearly had the equalizer 10 minutes later but
Asya Holt's (Honolulu/Roosevelt) boot from 15 yards out clanked off the crossbar.
The game's first 45 minutes went without a score, although
Randi Fontes' (Wahiawa, O'ahu, Hawai'i/University of Hawai'i/Pearl City HS) shot in transition missed by mere inches, hitting the crossbar with just over 10 minutes left in the half.
Fontes accounted for six of Chaminade's 11 total shots. Holt and
Shayla Padilla (Wahiawa, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Oral Roberts University/Leilehua HS) took two each while
Saige Kalani (Honolulu/Dominican University of California/Pearl City HS) had one look at the net.
Naomi Takata (Honolulu/Pearl City) made three saves in taking the loss and also saw her scoreless streak of 258 minutes come to an end. Madi DePhillips earned the win for HPU.
The Silverswords return home to the Saint Louis Field pitch Thursday as they host Concordia University Irvine at 10 a.m. Despite the State of Hawai'i and City and County of Honolulu giving the go-ahead for fan attendance at outdoor sports starting Wednesday, a decision to allow vaccinated-only fans to Chaminade men's and women's soccer has not yet been rendered.
