Women’s Soccer Trips Dominican, Improves to 2-0

Posted with permission, article and pictures, courtesy of Chaminade University

HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women’s soccer team broke open a scoreless game Saturday with a pair of second half goals to upend Dominican University of California, 2-0, at Saint Louis Field.
 
Freshman Haley Mo’okini (San Gabriel, Calif./Gabrielino) scored her first career goal while Gracie Bowers (Murrieta, Calif./California Baptist/Vista Murrieta HS) added yet another to help the Silverswords improve to 5-3 overall and 2-0 in the Pacific West Conference for the first time in program history.
 
The ‘Swords scored their first win over the Penguins since 2016 and also defeated them at the Saint Louis pitch for the first time ever (previously 0-6-1 all-time).
 
Dominican fell to 2-4-4 overall and 0-2-1 in the PacWest.
 
After a scoreless first half, Chaminade lined up for a corner kick in the 60th minute where the groundball squibber was played towards the net. The ball was deflected twice and Mo’okini stuck the loose ball into the upper right corner for the game’s first score.
 
Despite several Penguin attacks towards the net, the ‘Swords continued to play aggressively for an insurance goal. They nearly got it with seven minutes remaining when two shots – one by Asya Holt (Honolulu/Roosevelt) and one by Isabella Narvaez (Vail, Ariz./Cienega) – hit off the left post and crossbar, respectively, on consecutive shots.
 
However, the third time turned out to be the charm in the 88th minute as Bowers, received a pass from Holt, split two defenders with a nifty move then fired a shot from 35 yards past DUC keeper Angelina Hert for the icing on the cake. For Bowers, it was her team-leading fourth goal of the season which also ranks among the conference leaders.
 
The ‘Swords outshot the Penguins 11-to-4 and had six shots on-goal to DUC’s two. Bowers had a team-best three towards the net while Madelynne Knowd (Ramona, Calif./Ramona) and Savannah Breeze Miranda (Aiea, O’ahu, Hawai’i/Aiea) had two shots each.
 
Naomi Takata (Honolulu/Pearl City) tallied her second consecutive clean sheet to pick up the win while Hert took the defeat.
 
The Silverswords will face in-state rival University of Hawai’i Hilo, the seventh-ranked team in the nation, on Friday at Saint Louis Field in a pivotal early conference matchup. Both teams are 2-0 in the conference heading into Friday’s meeting which will also be a conference game. The Sept. 23 meeting in Hilo won by the Vulcans was a non-conference tilt and did not count in the PacWest standings or PacWest Hawai’i Challenge.
 
Kickoff is set for 10 a.m.