HONOLULU – A record five members of the Big West regular season champion Hawai'i soccer team earned United Soccer Coaches All-West Region honors, including three first-team honorees.
Nalani Damacion,
Jacey Jicha and
Kennedy Justin each earned first-team recognition while
Alice Davidson and
Brynn Mitchell claimed second-team honors.
It's the first time that at least five Rainbow Wahine have earned all-region honors, with the previous high being three (2019). UH has had just five players previously earn first-team all-region honors while the five honorees this year gives the 'Bows 25 all-time all-region selections.
Nalani Damacion, Fr., M (First Team)
- Named the Big West Midfielder of the Year.
- First-ever freshman and first UH player ever 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 second nationally with seven game winners.
- 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 came in the final 10 minutes of matches.
Alice Davidson, Fr., D (Second Team)
- Tied for the team-lead and tied for seventh in the conference with four assists.
- Appeared in 20 matches, making 15 starts while averaging 65.6 minutes per match.
- Named second-team All-Big West and Big West All-Freshman.
- 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.
Jacey Jicha, Sr., D (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.
- 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 (First Team)
- 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 11-8-1.
- 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 21 matches with 18 starts.
- Eighth in the conference with 2.24 shots per match.
- Led the team with 73 career matches played and 101 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.
