{"id":220028,"date":"2025-08-11T13:16:28","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T23:16:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=220028"},"modified":"2025-08-11T13:16:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T23:16:28","slug":"soccer-player-midfielders-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/08\/11\/soccer-player-midfielders-to-watch\/","title":{"rendered":"Wahine soccer player named to National Midfielders to Watch list"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> < 1<\/span> minute<\/span><\/span>

\"\"<\/p>\n

University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa women\u2019s soccer<\/a> midfielder Nalani Damacion was named to the United Soccer Coaches National Midfielders to Watch list after a record-setting freshman season in 2024.<\/p>\n

Damacion, the 2024 Big West Midfielder of the Year, led the Rainbow Wahine with seven game-winning goals last season, the most by any NCAA<\/abbr> freshman since 2015. Damacion tied for third nationally and first among freshmen in game-winning goals.<\/p>\n

Her seven game-winners also matched the UH<\/abbr> single-season record, tying Natasha Kai (2004) and Tiana Fujimoto (2013).<\/p>\n

Damacion became the first player in conference history to earn Big West Freshman of the Week honors five times in one season, and also earned first-team All-Big West, Big West All-Freshman and United Soccer Coaches All-West Region honors.<\/p>\n

The Rainbow Wahine will start the season on August 14 at Long Beach State. The home opener at Waipiʻo<\/span> Peninsula Soccer Stadium is set for August 21 against Central Arkansas.<\/p>\n

Read more at Hawaiiathletics.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nalani Damacion was named to the list after a record freshman season. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":220033,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1362],"tags":[58,1556,714,9,550],"class_list":["post-220028","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-athletics","tag-athletics","tag-soccer","tag-student-athlete","tag-uh-manoa","tag-manoa-athletics","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t