HONOLULU — In a decade of play in the Big West, the Hawaii soccer team has qualified for the conference tournament exactly one time.

What made that 2019 team special?

What You Need To Know

  • The Hawaii women's soccer team opens up its 10-game Big West Conference schedule at 7 p.m. Thursday against UC Davis at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium

  • UH is 1-8 all-time in Big West openers, with the win coming in the 2019 season when the Rainbow Wahine qualified for the Big West tournament for the only time in their history

  • The Wahine were picked to finish seventh place in the Big West preseason coaches poll, and the Davis Aggies fifth

  • UH went 3-2 in its nonconference schedule, capped with a 2-1 win at Portland State on Sept. 8

It had a strong goalkeeper in Alexis Mata, a breakout star in forward Kayla Ryan, a sturdy graduate transfer up front in Kayla Watanabe and up-and-comers in then-freshmen Kelci Sumida and Eliza Ammendolia.

The Rainbow Wahine did something specific that helped them defy program history that year: They won their opening Big West match.

It was the only time since UH joined the Big West in 2012 that Wahine soccer got off to a 1-0 start in league play, underscoring that in the tight race to qualify for a playoff spot, a fast start is paramount. When it has played from behind in the standings, UH has never rallied to make the Big West tournament, though it came close in 2013 and 2018.

The odds of qualification are a bit more forgiving in 2022; the conference voted to expand the field now that Cal State Bakersfield and UC San Diego have settled into BWC membership. Instead of just four playoff spots among nine teams vying for an NCAA tournament berth, there are six spots among 11 for the first time this season.

“The goals stay the same. Get back to the conference tournament and compete for a championship,” 12-year head coach Michele Nagamine said.

UH (3-2) negotiated a short nonconference schedule with some success — it is coming off a 2-1 win at Portland State on Sept. 8 — and heads into Thursday’s 7 p.m. meeting with UC Davis (3-2-2) with a chance to strike quickly in the standings at the familiar comforts of Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

However, the Aggies are a tough first test; they notched a 1-0 win at fifth-ranked Santa Clara on Aug. 21, and boast a 2-1 home win over Oregon State of the Pac-12.

The Wahine were picked to finish seventh and the Aggies fifth in the Big West preseason coaches poll.

“Nonconference was about building confidence, and I think we’ve done that,” Nagamine said. “We wanted to show that we can play and hang. … We can check off all of our boxes. We really did achieve all of our objectives.”

UH is led by sophomore Krista Peterson, the North Carolina State transfer who has three goals and an assist. Second-year freshman Amber Gilbert has two goals and an assist, junior forward Sumida has a team-high three assists and the creative midfielder Ammendolia has a score and two assists.

“With Krista Peterson having the season that she’s having so early on, and Kelci Sumida being involved getting assists, and just drawing a lot of attention from the defense of the other team, it opens things up for Amber and Krista,” Nagamine said.

In goal, Nagamine and associate head coach Marc Fournier, who oversees the keepers, have split duties right down the middle between Lauren Marquez and Sophie Augustin. Marquez and Augustin have 225 minutes apiece between the pipes and have each allowed three goals, though UH boasts a 2-0 record in Augustin’s full outings.

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii.