IRVINE, Calif. – For the second straight week and third time this season, Hawai'i midfielder Nalani Damacion earned Big West Freshman of the Week honors, the league announced Monday.
 
Damacion scored the game-winning goal in Thursday's 2-1 win over UC Davis in the Big West opener, converting a penalty kick in the 51st minute to put UH in front for good. She played all 90 minutes in the match and led the team with four shot attempts, all on goal.
 
The Rocklin, Calif. native leads all freshmen nationally with four game-winning goals on the season, delivering the go-ahead score in four of UH's five wins. Damacion also leads the Big West and is tied for fourth among all players nationally in game-winners, with three of her four game-winning scores coming in the second half.
 
Damacion is the first Big West player since 2021 to earn freshman of the week honors three times in a season (Deisree Mendoza – UC Irvine) and the first UH player ever to take home the award in back-to-back weeks. The last time a Rainbow Wahine player earned any conference weekly honor in consecutive weeks was in 2017 when Alexis Mata took home Big West Defensive Player of the Week honors two straight weeks.