Never before has the Hawaii soccer team faced a defending national champion. On Sept. 5, that will change.

The Rainbow Wahine host powerful UCLA at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium on that date as the highlight of their 2014 schedule announced Thursday.

UH seeks to improve on last season’s 8-8-1 (3-4-1 Big West) mark, but moments of reprieve appear to be few on this slate. Five foes made the NCAA tournament in 2013, including the one that outlasted 63 others for the title.

After UH takes on the Bruins — featuring Kamehameha product Caprice Dydasco — and another NCAA tournament team, Washington State, in the Outrigger Resorts Soccer Classic, the Wahine will play four straight Big Sky Conference opponents on the mainland just before the start of Big West play.

"We’re going to try to be creative," fourth-year coach Michele Nagamine said. "It’s not every day that the fans in Hawaii get to see a defending national champion. … When you get somebody that actually has the hardware, and has been through their win ceremony, it’s very exciting. I told my team that our summer reading was going to be David and Goliath. They all kind of laughed at me."

UH opens the season with six straight matches at home but will be challenged from the start. The Wahine host Arizona State of the Pac-12 and Texas of the Big 12 on consecutive days, Aug. 24 and 25, in the Outrigger Resorts Shootout, in an unusual Sunday-Monday setup to accommodate the visiting teams.

"I think I’m going to check myself into the loony bin for that one," Nagamine quipped.

The defending Big West tournament champion, Cal State Fullerton, travels to Waipio on Oct. 2 to open the eight-game league schedule. Once again, the top four teams in the regular season will qualify for the conference tournament. Fifth-place UH narrowly missed out on its first BWC tourney appearance last season.

"We’re in this to compete," Nagamine said. "By putting the kids in challenging situations and positions to be problem solvers, these are the lessons they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives. By the time we get to conference play, we should have experienced many opportunities to learn. Hopefully we’ll be successful with the tail end of our schedule."

SCHEDULE
Home dates at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium. All times HST.

Outrigger Hotels Shootout: Aug. 22—Arizona State vs. Texas, 7 p.m.; Aug. 24—Arizona State, 5 p.m.; Aug. 25—Texas, 5 p.m.
OHANA Hotels and Resorts No Ka Oi: Aug. 28—Northern Illinois, 7 p.m.; Aug. 30—Seattle vs. Northern Illinois, 7 p.m.; Sept. 1—Seattle, 5 p.m.
Outrigger Resorts Soccer Classic: Sept. 5—Washington State vs. Pepperdine, 4:30 p.m., UCLA, 7 p.m.; Sept. 7—UCLA vs. Pepperdine, 2:30 p.m., Washington State, 5 p.m.
Sept. 12—at Weber State, 11 a.m.
Sept. 14—at Idaho State, noon
Montana Invitational: Sept. 19—vs. Eastern Washington, 9 a.m.; Sept. 21—at Montana, 9 a.m.
Sept. 27—Alumnae, 5 p.m.
Oct. 2—Cal State Fullerton, 7 p.m.
Oct. 5—UC Riverside, 5 p.m.
Oct. 10—at UC Santa Barbara, 4 p.m.
Oct. 12—at Cal Poly, 10 a.m.
Oct. 16—Long Beach State, 7 p.m.
Oct. 24—UC Davis, 7 p.m.
Oct. 30—at UC Irvine, 4 p.m.
Nov. 2—at Cal State Northridge, noon
Big West Championships (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) —Nov. 6, semifinals; Nov. 9, championship