The memories are nearly two years old now, yet the echoes of Hawaii’s breakthrough 2019 soccer season endure.

The Rainbow Wahine last took the field on Nov. 7, 2019, in Orange County for the program’s first appearance in the Big West tournament. Although the season ended with a 3-0 loss to top-seeded and host Cal State Fullerton, the Wahine returned to Honolulu looking to build on the foundation set that fall.

The pandemic denied them the opportunity in 2020 and the disappointment of delays and cancellations sweetened their return for the start of practice on Tuesday.

“It makes being out there so much better,” senior forward Kayla Ryan said after the afternoon session on the grass practice fields in Manoa. “For me, I was taking a lot of it for granted. My time here is starting to come to an end … and that really just put it in perspective for me, like ‘I don’t have this forever.’

“So just being able to be out here again is so fun and exciting and a lot of us are able to do what we love again.”

Women’s soccer was among the fall sports canceled by the Big West in the 2020-21 academic year, leaving the Wahine to look toward 2021 for a chance to pick up the momentum of a 2019 season in which they finished 6-8-4 overall and 4-1-3 in conference play to place fourth in the Big West standings.

Despite the lengthy layoff, the semifinal loss to Cal State Fullerton remains a motivational point as the Wahine dive into fall camp.

“All we remember is that last season that we had and I think we feel we left a lot on the table,” UH coach Michele Nagamine said. “We’ve gained a lot of perspective and it was so long ago, but we remember it like it was yesterday.”

Said Ryan: “That was our first time making it there so now our goal is just to win the whole thing.”

The Wahine have a week of practice before facing Tusculum in an exhibition match on Aug. 17 on the UH campus. They have another with Hawaii Pacific University on Aug. 22 and open the regular season Aug. 27 against North Texas in the Outrigger Soccer Kickoff at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

Although the start of practice brings a sense of normalcy and a comeback schedule awaits, Nagamine sensed a bit of cautious optimism within the team given the trials of the last year.

“I think nobody wants to really go, ‘yay we have a season,’ because until we play that first game I think that’s in the back of all of our minds, if I’m being honest,” Nagamine said. “I think they don’t want to get themselves too excited and we’ve learned not to get our hopes up and just focus on the task at hand and we’re going to take every day just as it comes. Every day we can be out here together is definitely a blessing.”

For the moment, the task includes blending the talents of a roster that includes players representing seven states (including eight from Hawaii) and one each from Sweden, Japan, Iceland and Australia.

Nagamine noted the process started before the start of camp with the players taking the initiative to form bonds within the team.

“We’ve been playing a little bit of pick-up soccer on the side, really just trying to get to know each other on and off the field,” senior goalkeeper Lauren Marquez said, “and this preseason camp that’s our main goal, building connections.”

Ryan and Eliza Ammendolia were All-Big West first-team selections in 2019 with junior Kelci Sumida an honorable mention pick. Ryan led the Wahine with seven goals followed by Sumida with five and Ammendolia distributed a team-high four assists.

Marquez takes over in goal with the departure of Alexis Mata, the 2019 Big West Goalkeeper of the Year, and shares the captain role with Ryan and Ammendolia.

“We have young team but there’s a lot of talent out here, and a lot of athleticism,” said Nagamine, the reigning BWC Coach of the Year. “So I think our very savvy following out at Waipio is going to be really happy with the type of game and product we put on the field this year.”