IRVINE, Calif. – The regular-season champion Hawai'i women's soccer team took home the bulk of the major Big West postseason honors Saturday, winning four individual awards, earning seven all-conference selections and three all-freshman honorees following a vote by the league's coaches.
 
Freshman Nalani Damacion took home Midfielder of the Year honors following her incredible regular season while redshirt freshman Kennedy Justin was named Big West Goalkeeper of the Year. Senior Jacey Jicha earned Defensive Player of the Year recognition while head coach Michele Nagamine claimed Big West Coach of the Year honors for the second time in her career to give UH four of the six major individual awards.
 
Additionally, Damacion, Jicha and Justin all took spots on the All-Big West first-team to mark the first time since 2019 that UH has had three first-team honorees. Freshman Alice Davidson and senior Brynn Mitchell both earned second-team all-conference honors and Amber Gilbert and Cate Sheahan received honorable mention recognition. The seven all-conference honorees are the most UH has had since joining the Big West and tied for the most in school history (2007, WAC).
 
Nalani Damacion, Fr., M (Midfielder of the Year, First-Team, All-Freshman)

• The first UH player ever to earn Big West Midfielder of the Year honors.
• First-ever freshman to earn Big West Midfielder of the Year recognition in 20 years of the award.
• A record five-time Big West Freshman of the Week honoree.
• Tied for the national lead with seven game-winning goals.
• Most game-winners by an NCAA freshman since 2015 (Cece Kizer, Ole Miss)
• Tied for the most game-winning goals in a season in UH history (Natasha Kai, Tiana Fujimoto).
• Four of her seven game-winners have come in the final 10 minutes of matches.

 
Alice Davidson, Fr., D (Second-Team, All-Freshman)

• Tied for the team-lead and tied for seventh in the conference with four assists.
• Appeared in 19 matches, making 15 starts while averaging 66.6 minutes per match.
• Played all 90 minutes in six different matches.
• One of just four players in program history to earn both Big West All-Freshman and first or second-team all-conference honors in the same year.

 
Amber Gilbert, Jr., F (Honorable Mention)

• Second-straight year earning all-conference mention after being named to the first-team last year.
• Played in all 20 matches with 17 starts at attacker, drawing double teams and increased defensive attention all season.
• Delivered her lone goal of the regular season in a 1-0 win over Cal State Fullerton on Oct. 6.

 
Jacey Jicha, Sr., D (Defensive Player of the Year, First-Team)

• The first UH player ever to earn Big West Defensive Player of the Year honors.
• Just the third player in school history to earn a conference defensive player of the year award.
• Third-straight year earning all-conference honors, and first time in the first-team.
• Started all 20 matches and played 1,700 out of a possible 1,800 minutes during the regular season.
• Led a UH back line that finished tied for the lead in conference matches with a 0.60 goals allowed average.
• Helped the 'Bows match a program record with five straight shutouts from Sept. 26-Oct. 10.
• Spearheaded a back line that allowed just one second-half goal in Big West play.

 
Kennedy Justin, rFr., GK (Goalkeeper of the Year, First-Team, All-Freshman)

• Second UH player ever to be named Big West Goalkeeper of the Year (Alexis Mata, 2019).
• First-ever freshman to earn Big West Goalkeeper of the Year honors in the 22 seasons of the award.
• Matched a school single-season record for goalkeeper wins, going 11-7-1.
• Set a UH record with five consecutive shutouts from Sept. 26-Oct. 13, going 496 straight minutes without allowing a goal.
• Two-time Big West Defensive Player of the Week.
• Posted a goals against average of 0.62 in league play, giving up just one second-half goal in 10 Big West matches.
• Thrown into the starting role unexpectedly in the second match of the year.

 
Brynn Mitchell, Sr., F (Second-Team)

• Tied for second on the team with four goals and third with 11 points.
• Played in all 20 matches with 17 starts.
• Eighth in the conference with 2.30 shots per match.
• Leads the team with 72 career matches played and 100 career shot attempts during her time at Saint Mary's and Hawai'i.
• Only UH player with a brace this year, scoring twice vs. North Dakota State on Sept. 1.

 
Cate Sheahan, Jr., F (Honorable Mention)

• Second on the team with 12 points (4 goals, 4 assists).
• Leads the team and is fourth in the conference with 2.45 shots per match.
• One of five players in the Big West with at least four goals and four assists.
• Started all 20 matches and is first among UH's attackers averaging 67.3 minutes per match.

 
Michele Nagamine, HC (Coach of the Year)

• Named Big West Coach of the Year for the second time (2019).
• Joins a group of five other active coaches in the conference to be named coach of the year multiple times.
• Led UH to its first Big West regular season title since joining the league in 2012.
• Coached the 'Bows to their fourth all-time conference regular season crown and first since 2007.
• Guided the Rainbow Wahine to their first 10-win season since 2007.
• UH's 25 points in the Big West standings are the most by a conference team since 2016.
• Helped UH set a school record with a nine-match unbeaten streak while setting a single-season school record with a seven-match win streak.