As the University of Hawai‘i soccer team continued to rack up victories in 2024, the Rainbow Wahine discovered what was possible with each passing win.
The 'Bows had their best season under head coach Michele Nagamine, an era that started in 2011. In 2024, the Rainbow Wahine went 8-1-1 in Big West Conference play, winning the regular season title and gaining hosting rights to the conference tournament, a first in program history.
Hawai‘i, which began playing in the Big West in 2012, only made the conference tournament in 2019 and 2023 prior to 2024, but never as the top seed.
Despite all that was stacked in UH's favor heading into the Big West tournament, the Rainbow Wahine lost 3-0 to Cal State Bakersfield in the first round at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium. The balance between celebrating a landmark season while also feeling disappointment that it didn't go further was a tricky one for the 'Bows, but heading into 2025, it's clear the bar has been raised.
The Rainbow Wahine had their first practice of the season on Tuesday morning at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. They will be the first team on campus to have an official contest this fall, opening their 2025 campaign on Aug. 14 at Long Beach State.
"We're really motivated," senior forward Amber Gilbert said. "A lot of us trained a lot over the summer and just working really hard, passing our fitness tests. Even during our scrimmages, it's like we've never stopped playing together."
Along with Gilbert, the Rainbow Wahine return multiple key pieces from its 2024 team, including Big West Goalkeeper of the Year Kennedy Justin and Big West Midfielder of the Year Nalani Damacion, both of whom were just freshmen last fall.
"I knew this is the place I want to be," Damacion said on Tuesday. "I knew these are the people I want to be surrounded with. The coaching staff is obviously amazing, so I knew right off the bat we're coming back. We're going to come back stronger."
Hawai‘i will take the pitch this fall as defending Big West regular season champion, with the goal of raising the tournament trophy in November. The 2025 season is the final opportunity to do so, as UH is departing for the Mountain West next summer.
"There is definitely a bit of bittersweetness," Nagamine said of the program's upcoming move to the Mountain West. "Yesterday, I texted all the coaches who were returning ihe Big West. I just said, 'Hey, we're starting our last year. Really love you guys and have a great season.'
"It's going to be very sad, but I'm glad that most of my counterparts want to come to our preseason tournament (in the future), so they want to keep Hawai‘i on the rotation, and they want to come. And I said, 'Have fun paying that airfare.' I think it's good. They might have a little bit of sticker shock, but it is bittersweet for us. But our recruiting base will remain in California, and then we'll just start branching out into some of the mountain regions and and we're excited, but we're sad to see our time in the Big West end."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
