Jacey Jicha often wasn’t ready to go home.
After finishing practice on one of the perimeter fields at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex, Jicha was among the youth players — parents in tow — heading over to the main stadium when the University of Hawaii soccer team had a match.
“I remember asking my dad, ‘Can we please go watch? I know you’re probably hungry and there’s dinner at home, but I really want to watch this game,’” Jicha said.
One of nine Hawaii products on the UH roster this season, Jicha now calls Waipio her home pitch as a sophomore defender with the Rainbow Wahine.
“It’s amazing. I never imagined myself actually being in this position,” the Mililani graduate said. “I dreamed about it, but never thought it would actually happen. It’s crazy to see these younger kids in the position I once was.”
The Wahine are 3-0 at home this season and hope some of those families spending their Sunday afternoon at Waipio will stick around for today’s 4 p.m. Big West match with Long Beach State in a meeting of two of the conference’s early contenders.
“This group is starting to click and we’re just scratching the surface,” UH coach Michele Nagamine said, “So if people haven’t seen us play, especially the kids who are aspiring to play in college, come and watch.”
The Rainbow Wahine (4-2-2, 1-0-2 Big West) earned two points on what Nagamine called “the hardest road trip, unquestionably, of the year” with draws at UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly. But they also returned home lamenting the two points that got away a week ago when Cal Poly scored on a free kick with 15 seconds left to forge a 2-2 draw after UH took a 2-0 lead in the first half.
“I think that burn is going to be something that’s going to carry us through the rest of the season,” Nagamine said.
The Beach (3-4-4, 2-0-1) rose into a tie for first place in the Big West with a 2-1 win over Cal State Fullerton on Thursday in Long Beach. LBSU and CSU Bakersfield enter the day atop the conference with seven points. Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine are next with six followed by UH with five points.
Jicha is part of a UH back line that has worked with goalkeepers Lauren Marquez and Sophie Augustin to hold UH’s last seven opponents to five goals with three shutouts in that span.
Jicha started eight matches as a freshman, logging 895 minutes, and has taken a more vocal role in organizing a UH defense that includes two freshmen in Eve Bleam and Zoe Park from her center-back spot.
“Last season Coach Bud (Nagamine) was really on me about taking leadership and it took some time,” Jicha said. “Knowing I’m one of the more seasoned players, even as a sophomore I want to guide my younger teammates.
“I think we’ve learned each other’s tendencies so it’s much more cohesive.”
UH forward Krista Peterson, the team’s leading scorer with four goals, has noted greater assertiveness from the back line over the course of the season.
“They’ve definitely taken that leadership role trying to just demand stuff on the field from us and they’re not afraid to tell older players what to do any more. … I admire that so much about them,” Peterson said.
“They see things that no one else does, and I think because they’re taking that responsibility now, it’s creating a lot of opportunities for our front line.”
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Big West women’s soccer
At Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium
Long Beach State (3-4-4, 2-0-1 BWC) vs. Hawaii (4-2-2, 1-0-2)
>> When: Today, 4 p.m.
>> TV/Radio: none
>> Admission: free
