Hawaii will do whatever it can to make Friday a memorable evening out at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

The Rainbow Wahine are hoping to break the program’s free-attendance record when they host top-ranked UCLA, the defending national champion, at 7 p.m. on the first day of the Outrigger Resorts Soccer Classic.

"I told the kids, ‘It’s not every day that you have a chance to do something great. A chance to be remembered for something,’ " UH coach Michele Nagamine said. "‘You go ahead and have a good result on Friday, and it’s something that everybody’s going to talk about for the rest of the year.’ "

UH (2-2) has never faced a No. 1-ranked team or the sitting national champ in soccer.

Nagamine compared the Bruins to "predators" who will patiently stalk their foes and pounce at the right moment. UCLA (3-0-1) has yet to allow a goal, and has outshot foes 79-6 in four matches.

"They’re fast, they’re strong. They are the defending national champions," senior co-captain Ashley "Muki" Haruki said. "They don’t have a weak spot on the field, but we just gotta play our game, and that’s all we can wish for, basically. … I think whenever you take the field against anyone, you always have a chance."

All three visiting teams in UH’s final home tournament of 2014 have yet to suffer a loss. The others are 11th-ranked Pepperdine (4-0) and Washington State (2-0-1). The Waves and Cougars open things up at 4:30 p.m. Friday.

"There are going to be good games going on at Waipio," Nagamine said. "And if you’re a soccer fan and you’re not at Waipio, then you’re not a soccer fan really, at heart. You’re just a poser."

UH is aiming to top the program attendance record of 3,175 vs. Fresno State in the 2005 home finale — Natasha Kai’s last home appearance. To that end, it’s worked out a promotion for free chocolate milk and ice cream sandwiches to the first 2,500 keiki. Nagamine is hoping for a sum of 3,500, just about capacity.

The champs are here because defender Caprice Dydasco is in her final season as a Bruin. Last season, the 2011 Kamehameha graduate (who Nagamine coached in high school) helped lead a UCLA defense that ranked first in goals-against average (0.3) and set a school record in shutouts (18).

The Bruins are supposed to be just as good this season. National team prospects dot their roster.

"We’ve been thinking about (this match) for a while. Didn’t want to have it in the back of my head because it’d be weighing me down," UH outside back Ryan Daniel said. "But now that it’s here, I’m looking at it as a great opportunity. We’re going to be … exposed to great players all over the field. They’ll make us better, and hopefully we’ll give them a good challenge."

UH will welcome center back Lidia Battaglia back from a one-game suspension. Storm Kenui will return to her customary spot at attacking midfielder, though she was lauded in her effort filling in for Battaglia on the back line in Monday’s 2-1 overtime win over Seattle.