NAMPA, Idaho – When the 2023 season ended for the Chaminade University women's soccer team, they boasted a win and draw against two nationally ranked squads.
The trend for the Silverwords seemingly has carried over to their 2024 opener.
In Thursday's Northwest Nazarene Invitational opener, the 'Swords forced a 2-2 draw to Colorado Mesa, the United Soccer Coaches' 10th-ranked squad in Division II, marking their third straight non-loss against nationally ranked foes.
Isabella Narvaez (Vail, Ariz./Cienega) and
Haley Mo'okini (San Gabriel, Calif./Gabrielino) accounted for both Silversword goals.
It didn't take long for the 'Swords to strike first. In the third minute,
Delaney Buntin (Vail, Ariz./Pima CC/Cienega HS) found the ball on the left side of the box, then centered it to Narvaez, who one-timed the shot which found the lower-right side of the net. At 2:53, the goal was the seventh-fastest goal in program history and Narvaez's first since 2022.
But the nationally-ranked Mavericks, who advanced to the Division II national quarterfinals last year, tied it in the 34th minute on a 30-yard blast by Sarah Dunn which just snuck under the crossbar.
Chaminade had a chance to retake the lead just before halftime when Mo'okini's long free kick from 35 yards out bounced off the crossbar.
But the 'Swords' leading goal scorer a year ago didn't miss when she got another free kick opportunity. Just five minutes into the second half, Mo'okini lofted another 35-yarder. This time, the ball cleared the crossbar by two feet to put Chaminade up, 2-1.
Colorado Mesa responded with the tying goal in the 58th minute from Parker Mairs.
Both squads had looks in the final minutes but neither could get the winning goal.
Freshman
Izabella Holly (Tucson, Ariz./Cienega) got first career start in goal for Chaminade, playing 59 minutes before an injury forced her out of the game. That allowed
Jordhan Kieres (Lakewood, Ohio/Bellermine Univ./Lakewood HS) to come in, marking her first career minutes at the net for the third-year goalkeeper. It was also the first time since Oct. 23, 2017 that the 'Swords had to make a mid-game goalkeeper change.
The 'Swords had four shots with both shots on-goal being scores. The Mavericks took 12 cracks at the net, six being on-goal.
The Silverswords will face Minot State in their second game of the NNU Tournament on Saturday with kickoff set for 8 a.m. Hawai'i time.
