The University of Hawai‘i soccer team has won six straight games. The Rainbow Wahine have conceded just one goal over the last month. They have three regular season contests remaining and are a mere point behind conference leader Colorado College in the Mountain West standings.
Yet, as the 'Bows enter their final home week of the season, a spot in the four-team Mountain West tournament, which runs from Nov. 11-14 at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, is still not guaranteed.
Following Wednesday's contest against UNLV at 3 p.m., followed by a senior day game against New Mexico on Sunday at 2:30 p.m., Hawai‘i head coach Michele Nagamine knows the playoff picture will become much clearer. But for the time being, the standings have been another adjustment as the Rainbow Wahine acclimate to their first season in the Mountain West Conference. Had UH still been in the Big West, the 18 points they current posses would have been more than enough to clinch a spot in the six-team conference tournament.
"I think it's almost criminal that we're on a six-game winning streak in conference and we still don't know if we're going to make the tournament or not," Nagamine said. "If this was the Big West and we had six teams, then of course we would be clinched already. But it's just really frustrating because I feel like we've had such a great season and we can't even really enjoy it. ... On to the next, so it's just been a little bit frustrating to not be able to fully enjoy it."
Frustrating as the possibility of missing the conference tournament may be, the Rainbow Wahine are also squarely in contention for the regular season title, just one point behind Colorado College's 19 points in the standings.
Hawai‘i's current winning streak of six is currently the fourth-longest in the country and third-longest in program history.
"We take pride in defending our home field, and we've done well thus far, and we just want to keep that going. We don't want to let up at all, and especially with senior day coming up, I think it adds an extra level to it for all the seniors and just the whole team," says forward Anuhea Aluli, who leads the team with seven goals.
This week, as the 'Bows continue to focus on taking care of business on the pitch, Sunday's postgame festivities will also allow the team to honor their senior class. Challenges this year's class have endured over the last four years include not having a consistent practice location since 2023, back when their shared practice field with the football team underwent construction to build a new track and soccer facility. The 2026 season was their first full season practicing on it.
Additionally, the Rainbow Wahine have played all their home matches on campus in 2026, as ongoing field issues at Waipi‘o Peninsula Soccer Stadium forced the 'Bows to relocate back to Mānoa.
"This group has really led us from just the beginning of learning how to deal with adversity, and then having so many things just thrown at them, all different kinds of pitches, and they managed to hit every single one out of the park," Nagamine said. "This group, usually when you get to the end of the season and you reflect back on people's careers, it's always, 'This group is a special group.' People always say things like that. But I think for us, when I look at this senior class, this was the class that really elevated our program, and they will remember be remembered fondly forever."
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
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