HONOLULU — Michele Nagamine noted a new look to the University of Hawai’i women’s soccer team as the Rainbow Wahine filed into practice early in training camp.
Nagamine, who opens her 13th season as head coach this week, did point out added height on the field as the Rainbow Wahine worked to blend experience and youth on the 26-player roster.
But the growth she’s observed over the past year runs deeper than the team’s physical presence.
“It’s not that we’re just taller,” Nagamine said. “I think there’s more confidence. I think there’s more connection.
“It’s a joy as a coach to be able to go out and have that kind of positive energy in trainings, especially when you’re going through double days.”
The returnees strengthened their bond in a summer trip to Italy and welcomed the newcomers into the program’s culture in player-led workouts. The start of practice on Aug. 1 officially opened the two-week training camp in preparation for a season that gets under way on Thursday in the OUTRIGGER Soccer Kickoff.
“One of the things that has come up in conversation has been how the freshman class came in when they did their training over the summer and really raised the intensity of the sessions,” Nagamine said. “It wasn’t just friends playing pick-up trying to get touches. These guys were getting after it.
“I think the freshmen have helped us from the summertime to really carry that mentality and physicality into the fall season.”
The Rainbow Wahine played Houston Christian to a scoreless draw on Sunday in the lone exhibition match of the season and face defending Western Athletic Conference champion Utah Valley in Thursday’s 2023 opener at 7 p.m. at Waipi’o Peninsula Soccer Stadium. The tournament continues Sunday with the Rainbow Wahine facing Gonzaga at 4 p.m.
“We talked about how ‘ohana is our No. 1 core value,” Nagamine said. “I think they hold each other accountable, they work hard and they have fun. That’s a dream for us as a staff.”
Following is a look at this year’s Rainbow Wahine roster by position groups.
FORWARDS
Nicole Ando (Jr.), Alexis Ballesteros (Fr.), Amber Gilbert (So.), Krista Peterson (Jr.), Kelci Sumida (Sr.), Cate Sheahan (So.), Fabiola Zamora (So.)
It appeared Sumida had made her last on-field appearance at WPSS when she went through the senior night ceremony last October. But after the fall semester, she elected to return for her fifth year in the program, thus keeping last season’s starting front line intact. Peterson led the team with five goals and tied Sumida with four assists. Gilbert posted four goals and two assists in earning a spot on the Big West All-Freshman team. Peterson was an All-Big West honorable mention pick and Sumida made the second team in 2021.
Zamora scored her first collegiate goal last season and Sheahan has risen on the depth chart as a sophomore.
Nagamine: “When you can return players like Krista, Amber and Kelci, those three are setting the pace for us and bringing the newcomers into the fold. … We’ve got a lot of depth this year which is very nice to have.”
MIDFIELDERS
Eliza Ammendolia (Gr.), Izzy Ayala (Fr.), Mia Foster (Jr.), Kaiya Kapaku (Fr.), Chaima Khammar (Sr.), Cheyenne Mattos (Fr.), Brynn Mitchell (Jr.), Tatum Porter (Fr.), Nohara Takayama (Sr.).
Ammendolia returns as a graduate student coming off a first-team All-Big West selection and was voted to the preseason all-conference team by the league’s coaches last week. She scored two goals last season, the last coming early in the season finale at UC Irvine, and added an assist while controlling the midfield. Foster has started 28 of the team’s last 29 matches over the last two seasons and the Wahine added experience to the group with Khammar joining the program as a graduate transfer from UMass Lowell. Mitchell played in 36 matches over three seasons at Saint Mary’s. Porter was Alaska’s Gatorade Player of the Year and Mattos is set to make her college debut after missing last season due to injury.
Nagamine: “With this being (Ammendolia’s) fifth year, she’s had a lot of time to marinate in the system and she understands what we’re trying to do. She’s a leader on the field. … (Khammar’s) very consistent and her understanding of the game and tactical awareness are so good it’s going to bring a lot of savvy-ness to the midfield. She’s already made an immediate impact for us.”
DEFENDERS
Eve Bleam (So.), Maya Gonzalez (Sr.), Jacey Jicha (Jr.), Penny Noland (So.), Carley Park (Jr.), Zoe Park (So.), Riley Simpson (Fr.).
Jicha made eight starts as a freshman in 2021 then took on a full-time role last season, logging 1,218 minutes over 15 appearances, including 14 starts. She returns as the hub of the defense following an All-Big West second-team sophomore season. Bleam was another mainstay of the back line last season, playing all 90 minutes in the team’s last four matches. Zoe Park made 12 starts as a freshman and Maya Gonzalez also returns as a key member of the rotation.
Nagamine: “(Jicha) is definitely finding her voice and understanding her role for us on the field and she’s made good connections with all of her teammates off the field as well. Her long-range passing accuracy has gotten so much better, so now if we’re looking to build out of the back we’re going to have another center back who’s able to distribute.”
GOALKEEPERS
Sophie Augustin (Sr.), Brianna Chirpich (So.), Kennedy Justin (Fr.).
Augustin began last season alternating starts with Lauren Marquez and earned a Big West Defensive Player of the Week award after making eight saves in a win over Portland State. But an injury halted her season before the start of conference play and she’s looking to pick up where her first season in the program left off. Chirpich made her collegiate debut in the 2022 season finale after Marquez suffered an injury early in the match at UC Irvine. Justin, at 5-10, presents a lengthy presence in goal and was a goalkeeper of the year in her league at Long Beach Poly.
Nagamine: “(Augustin is) really intense, she’s very demanding of herself, sets the bar very high for herself and works hard to get to those levels every single day. … You can tell (Chirpich) is much more confident and refined. When it comes to potential, there really is no limit for (Justin) because of her athleticism and her size. It’s a luxury to have three keepers who are all good in their own right.”
#HawaiiWSoccer
Leave A Comment