UH women’s soccer kicks off season with new conference, record local talent

News admin August 13, 2026 0 Comments

UH women’s soccer kicks off season with new conference, record local talent

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – This summer, the World Cup captivated soccer fans around the globe. Now, the University of Hawaiʻi women’s soccer team is looking to build on that momentum.

After a long offseason, the Rainbow Wahine welcome a fresh start, ready to put behind the challenges of last year. The team won just four games last season, a disappointing finish after capturing the Big West regular-season title the year prior.

“We’re going to find our new identity,” said UH goalkeeper Kennedy Justin. “Sure, we won the conference a few years ago, but there’s maybe seven or eight girls… that were on that team before. So I think making our new identity, show them what it feels like to win. We have a taste of it. It’s a clean slate so whatever happened last year, it doesn’t even matter anymore.”

The new season brings a revamped roster featuring 11 newcomers — seven true freshmen and four transfers.

“It’s been pretty seamless so far,” said UH head coach Michele Nagamine. “It seems like everyone’s just trying to find their footing and what their role is in all of this. It’s always interesting to watch the first week, because in the past, I think people haven’t wanted to stand out because they want to ease themselves in, but they really did come out and start competing.”

The roster is also heavily stocked with local talent. The nine Hawaiʻi-born players represent the most local representation on a Rainbow Wahine roster in a decade.

“You just can’t put a price tag on representing your state,” said Nagamine.

“I think as a local girl myself who didn’t have the opportunity to play — because I’m so old that we never even had a team at UH back in my day — but I think that sense of pride to play in front of your family and friends. I’m a little envious to be honest, and I’m so excited for them,” Nagamine added.

With matchups against Big 12 opponents Texas Tech and Kansas State to open the schedule, UH has an immediate opportunity to test its lineup before transitioning to Mountain West Conference play in October. The Rainbow Wahine previously competed in the Big West for over a decade.

“Now going into the Mountain West, I think the athleticism, the size, the type of soccer that is going to be played is going to be a little more physical than we’re used to, but I also think that our team is going to stack up nicely,” said Nagamine. “If we can just figure out the travel part, and how to recover and how to deal with altitude, I think we’ll be competitive in every game.”

UH kicks off its season against Texas Tech on Thursday. The Rainbow Wahine will then host Kansas State on Sunday, with live coverage starting at 3:30 p.m. on KFVE.