Hawaii soccer: Michele Nagamine lauds 5-player signing class

By Brian McInnis on November 15, 2019 | Court Sense, Featured, Soccer
Michele Nagamine lauded her 2020 signing class, the 10th of her tenure in Manoa. / Star-Advertiser file photo by Craig T. Kojima

Just a couple weeks after the completion of the 2019 soccer season, Hawaii announced the backbone of its recruiting class for 2020.

Though there are about nine months before next fall season, and more players will inevitably be added, the five announced by UH Thursday night — local players Amber Gilbert and Kyanah Blas and mainlanders Chelsey Stock, Maya Gonzalez and Fabiola Zamora — will comprise the bulk of the newcomers.

The 2020 class is coach Michele Nagamine’s 10th at UH. UH is coming off its first Big West tournament appearance. The Rainbow Wahine were eliminated in the Big West semifinals by eventual champion Cal State Fullerton, seeing their season end at 6-8-4 and 4-1-3.

Sixteen of the team’s 19 goals were scored by freshmen or sophomores, with sophomore Kayla Ryan netting seven and frosh Kelci Sumida five. Freshman Eliza Ammendolia led the team with four assists. Could the 2020 class have a similar impact?

Said Nagamine, “I’m so happy to welcome the 2020 recruiting class to our Rainbow Wahine Soccer ‘Ohana! They represent a level of creativity, versatility and athleticism that is going to mesh well with our solid core of returnees. I am excited about their desire as a class to help our program continue to reach new heights.”

Gilbert, a 5-2 forward from Mililani High, was the OIA championships most valuable player, and the 5-foot-8 Blas, a goalkeeper at Konawaena, was highly decored in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation coming off last season.
Stock and Zamora are midfielders and Gonzalez is an outer back.

UH’s biggest position of need is between the posts with Alexis Mata having wrapped up her career with Big West Goalkeeper of the Year honors as a senior.

Lauren Marquez has been the backup the last two years without seeing a minute of game action. But the 5-foot-6 junior-to-be is the leader in the clubhouse going into next year, Nagamine said.

“Marquez is the clear starter at this point but we are bringing in 2 other keepers (Kyanah and Emma Moore – walk on) to push her,” she messaged.

COMMENTS

  1. H-Man November 17, 2019 9:28 am

    Congrats on the recruiting class. Waiting to see how the back-to-back recruiting classes (2019/2020) produce in a couple of years.

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