The Chaminade men’s soccer team throughout the years has been in the cellar of the standings in the PacWest.
In the previous seven seasons combined, the Swords were a paltry 9-103-9, with just four conference victories in 87 games. The most wins they had in any season was three in 2009. Two seasons (2011 and 2013) were winless.
But this year, Chaminade erased its pathetic past and came together to burst out of the basement and into its historic season.
On Nov. 8, the Silverswords defeated the BYU-Hawaii Seasiders 1-0 in a game that featured six yellow cards and one red card. But more importantly, the Swords broke several school records: goals scored (18) and number of wins (6-10).
Chaminade finished the season with a three-game winning streak (all against fellow Hawaii teams) and ended the season a 4-2 record against the Division II Hawaii teams.
“It’s been a great season, I feel blessed to have the squad I had,” head coach Zach Kingsley said. “I think we definitely need to do what we’ve done these last three games, which is be able to close out a game with a lead.”
The finale started off with hard fouls by both teams that made both teams scramble for the ball not letting either team go for goal. The Seasiders had a couple shots that were close, but Silversword junior Rene Mejia was able to make one of his three saves of the day.
“I was just staying focused and I was wondering about the defense, communicating with them and making sure the ball didn’t go to the back of the net,” Mejia said. “From the beginning (of the season), we started off great, in the middle it was kind of tough, and now at the end it has been an A performance.”
In the 43rd minute of play, CUH junior midfielder Nicolas Ferro was fouled in the box of BYU-Hawaii, giving him a penalty kick, which he buried into the back of the net for the game-winning goal.
Both teams with attacking the ball and attacking each other played the second half with more intensity than the first. Every foul riled up the players on both sides with every card that was handed out to both sides. Five yellow cards were issued in the half, two four BYU-Hawaii and three for Chaminade.
Junior midfielder James Meaney got his second yellow card, which earned him a red card, after a hard tackle near the Chaminade goal. Mejia made a diving save to his left on the ensuing free kick to maintain the lead.
After the clock hit zero and the Swords won, tempers were still flaring when the teams went to shake hands. Davies was quoted asserting “2-0” loudly as the Swords swept the season games against the Seasiders.
The seniors honored after the game were Davies, Trevor Freeman, and Dayton Sato.
Sato, in his senior season, played in 16 games starting in all but one and making one goal against Dixie State.
“It feels great it really does,” said Freeman, who sat out last year after transferring from American River College in California and scored one goal this year. “We could’ve pulled out a few more close wins, but other than that I’m still really happy with the season and I’m sure the rest of the guys are too.”
Women’s soccer
BYU-Hawaii 2, Chaminade 0
In the season finale for the Chaminade women’s soccer team, the Swords fell to BYU-Hawaii in a match in which they could not get anything going offensively. The first goal scored by BYU-Hawaii’s Kate Orchard was on a penalty kick. The second goal was scored by Seasider McKenzie Evans.
The four Chaminade seniors honored after the game were Roni Hewett, Alyssa Nagai, Christina Saturnio and Shannon Wright.
Chaminade finished the season with a 3-11-1 overall record (3-8-1 in PacWest play). This was the most wins in CUH history.