HONOLULU – Wrapping up their opening four-game Pacific West Conference home stand, the Chaminade University women's soccer team finished the stretch with the same amount of conference defeats they had when they began – none.
 
The Silverswords scored two second-half goals then hung on down the stretch to defeat conference newcomer, Menlo College, 2-1, at the Saint Louis Field pitch.
 
Haley Mo'okini (San Gabriel, Calif./Gabrielino) and Gracie Knowd (Ramona, Calif./New Mexico State/Ramona HS) accounted for both Silversword goals, helping them improve to 5-2-2 overall and remain undefeated in the PacWest with a 4-0 mark, their best-ever conference start in program history. They are one of four PacWest squads who are undefeated in the conference.
 
The 'Swords usual suffocating defense aided goalkeeper Izabella Holly (Tucson, Ariz./Cienega), who kept the Oaks (0-6-2, 0-3-1 PacWest) out of the net for the first 85 minutes of the game. Despite allowing her first goal since Sept. 21, the freshman set a program record with 422:26 consecutive scoreless minutes, breaking the previous mark of 347:55 held by Naomi Takata.
 
After a stalemate nil-nil first half, the 'Swords broke the ice in the 52nd minute. Kenna Kiefer (Vail, Ariz./Cienega) headed a corner kick which bounced off the crossbar but ricocheted right to Mo'okini who herself headed in the ball for the first score, her second of the season. Kiefer got her second assist of the year.
 
Some 16 minutes later, Chaminade's second goal came off another corner kick as Clara Slate-Liu (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada/Ecolè Alpha Secondary) made a perfect pass, finding Gracie Knowd (Ramona, Calif./New Mexico State/Ramona HS) along the left side of the goal area who headed the ball into the upper right shelf. It was Knowd's team-leading third goal and Slate-Liu's first assist to give the 'Swords a 2-0 advantage.
 
Menlo went on the attack with a flurry of late attempts, finally hitting pay dirt in the 85th minute on Brynn McClymond's goal off a rebounded shot attempt by Haley Dunham, whose header bounced off the crossbar to McClymond.
 
The Oaks nearly tied the game as a shot a minute later bounced off the crossbar with the put back saved by Holly, which helped quell the final threat.
 
Chaminade attempted 20 shots, half on-goal. Mo'okini and Savannah Breeze Miranda (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Aiea) took three each.
 
The Oaks, who spent just 45 percent of the match in their attacking half of the field, managed nine shots. However, six came in the final five minutes as the 'Swords settled back on defense.
 
With the home stand behind them, the Silverswords are on the road for the always daunting southern California road trip which includes meetings against two of the PacWest's conference undefeated squads. One of them, Concordia University Irvine, is their road opener on Oct. 19 in Irvine. The Golden Eagles are ranked sixth in the United Soccer Coaches national rankings and in eight matches this season, have yet to allow a goal.