Furtado leads by example on and off the soccer field

Setting a good example every single day can be exhausting for even the most well-intentioned soul.

Fortunately, Sonest Furtado has the conditioning.

The Hawaii soccer team’s offensive leader doubles as a quirky, irrepressible source of inspiration for not just her Rainbow Wahine teammates, but for local youths, particularly in her hometown of Waianae — a place not known as a hotbed of her sport.

Yet there’s no shortage of kids from west-side soccer clubs volunteering as ball retrievers out of bounds during UH home games at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium. Afterward, they typically congregate around the Wahine for pictures and autographs.

When Furtado scored twice against UC Santa Barbara last week, leading the Wahine to a 2-1 come-from-behind win, the line for the senior forward’s attention stretched — with only slight exaggeration — nearly to the Leeward Coast. She graciously smiled and signed, again and again.

“Growing up in Waianae, it’s not really a soccer community,” Furtado said this week. “But I just went with it. I fought through whatever came my way. I wanted to kind of change the culture out there of soccer. I guess, show everyone the capability of players who come out of Waianae. Just hopefully be a good role model and someone to look up to, especially kids from out there. Because I know there’s a lot of talent out there, and sometimes a lot of people don’t see it. But to actually do it and prove (it’s possible), that’s something that was really key for me. I was really motivated and self-driven and I didn’t settle for just mediocrity. I always wanted to strive for the best.”

Furtado is one of eight UH seniors who will be honored after Sunday’s 5 p.m. home finale against Cal Poly. The others are Dani Crawford, Keala Parker-Lee, Bo Samson, Paige Okazaki, Kellsie Gleason, Spenser Jaye and Evelyn Fierros. UH (6-8, 1-4 BWC) needs a win to stay alive in the race for the Big West tournament.

To a degree, Furtado followed in the footsteps of Kanani Taaca, a former UH goalkeeper and Waianae native who went to Kamehameha. But Furtado went to Waianae High.

A speedy (if slightly awkward) 5-foot-5 striker with a killer instinct, Furtado piled up more than 60 goals in her Seariders career. She was a singular threat on a team that lost much more often than it won, often falling 7-2 or 8-1, except for the time she scored nine times against Nanakuli. She also found the time to post a 4.1 GPA to become her class valedictorian. That, and her club team prowess, was enough to get the attention of UH coach Michele Nagamine.

Furtado kept on impressing as a lanky college freshman, scoring four goals with three assists. She was quieter over the past two seasons before breaking out again as a solidly built senior.

The reigning Big West offensive player of the week has been the offensive leader for the Rainbow Wahine in 2017, scoring six goals with four assists. Her goals against UCSB — her first in Big West play — gave her 13 career and pushed her into a tie for 10th on the Wahine all-time list.

Along the way, she kept a goofy, self-deprecating sense of humor that made her relatable to her diverse teammates. They know her for that as much as her ability to reverse direction on a dime and fire off a quick and accurate shot with either foot.

“She’s like a diamond. She’s got a ton of different facets to her personality,” Nagamine said. “And I think that’s what makes her, just special. And I think with the ability to relate to a lot of different people. She can bust out the pidgin with the best of them.”

Wahine junior midfielder Raisa Strom-Okimoto, an Aiea alumna, played against Furtado’s teams in the OIA and gained a new respect for her in college — particularly that one time someone else threw up in the back of Strom-Okimoto’s car and only Furtado volunteered to stay and help clean up the mess.

“I would say she’s just like your go-to,” Strom-Okimoto said. “If you’re in a junk position, having a bad day, if you want to make your day better you just go to her. She always finds a way. She’s just herself no matter what.

“She’s kind of off too, sometimes,” she added, smiling. “But that’s just her. On the field it’s always business. Off the field, she’s just a good time.”

Being a positive role model to her four younger siblings — she’s the oldest by a wide margin — is paramount for her. She credits her parents, Ernest and Allison, with doing the same for her, starting her in soccer at age 6 as her first coaches in Waianae.

“I feel like I made them proud by just being here,” she said.

After scoring her first career Big West goal against UCSB — something her father had recently reminded her she hadn’t yet done — Sonest Furtado looked up to a familiar spot in the Waipio stands.

“I could see a little smirk on his face,” she said, smiling. “He doesn’t like to show his emotions, but I knew he was happy for me.”