University of Georgia Athletics
Photo by: Conor Dillon/UGAAA
Well-Traveled Hamano Has Brought Loads Of Experience
October 14, 2026 | Soccer, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Honoka Hamano didn't have to look far for inspiration. She grew up in Tokyo watching her mother, Minako, play professional soccer, and she knew from an early age that she wanted to follow in her mom's footsteps.
"I started playing soccer when I was three years old because of my mom," Hamano, a senior midfielder on the Georgia soccer team, said after practice Tuesday morning. "I went to watch her games when I was little, and then when we went to the park (one day), I was just watching the other teams practice, and she asked me if I wanted to join them, and I said yes.
"One of my goals is to achieve what my mom did. It's nice that when I'm struggling, she can give me useful advice that helps me."
Travel has been a part of Hamano's life for about as long as she's been playing soccer. She went to boarding school in Japan for six years, and then while playing on Japanese youth national teams, she played in places like Korea and China. She got to play against a U.S. national team when she was younger, "and then I thought that I want to come here and play soccer with them."
Hamano's collegiate career began at Memphis in 2023, and she started 13 of 20 matches for the Tigers and made the AAC All-Rookie Team after scoring two goals and dishing out four assists. Hamano, whom everyone calls "Noki," transferred to UCF for her sophomore and junior seasons, and she led the team with four assists and was tied for second with two goals in 2024. As a junior last season, she earned second-team All-Big 12 honors after scoring four goals and dishing out six assists.
Coming to college in the U.S., Hamano never anticipated playing for multiple schools.
"I didn't even know transferring existed before I came here," she said.
Between Memphis and UCF, Hamano started 44 games, and it's that experience that helped bring her to Georgia, Bulldogs head coach Keidane McAlpine said. Georgia has a young team, with 18 underclassmen, and McAlpine and his staff wanted to add some veterans who have seen and done a bit of everything in their careers, which is why they added Hamano, forward Emma Pettersen (from Middle Tennessee) and Gabbi Ceballos (LSU).
"They all add a level of that maturity. They've seen a few things. This is Emma's second school, but it's Gabbi's third and Noki's third, so they've seen different styles and different tactical ways to solve problems. For them, they just have more tools in their toolbox than the average player," McAlpine said.
Hamano has started 11 of Georgia's 13 games this season, and she has scored a team-high four goals. In Georgia's home opener on Aug. 20, the Soccer In Sanford game in front of a collegiate-record crowd of 25,433 at Sanford Stadium, Hanoko scored a pair of goals in the Bulldogs' 6-0 victory over James Madison. The game has been one of the highlights of her Georgia experience.
"That was so cool that I got to experience that, and then I got to become part of history because of it," she said with a big smile. "It was a win for Georgia soccer and also for women's soccer, I think. I'm glad I got to be part of the history."
She also scored the winning goal against Milwaukee three days later, and was named the SEC player of the week in mid-September after scoring against then-No. 2 Vanderbilt on Sept. 10, on a long shot outside the penalty box. It was her fourth goal of the season.
"I said it early in the year: I think sometimes she's like a cheat code because she's so clean on the ball," McAlpine said. "Even under pressure, she's able to manipulate her way out of situations to get a pass off, to get the ball to the next space."
The Bulldogs (5-3-5, 2-1-3 SEC) are back in action Thursday night in Tuscaloosa, where they will face No. 8 Alabama (12-2-0, 5-1-0). Georgia has won its past two games, beating Texas A&M 2-1 and Ole Miss 1-0 at the Turner Soccer Complex earlier this month, and heads into its final four regular-season games with a lot of confidence. The Bulldogs are back at Turner on Sunday (5 p.m.) for the team's home finale against Missouri.
"Hopefully we can keep going. I really like this team, and I trust them," Hamano said.
When asked to name her favorite thing about playing soccer, Hamano focused on the team aspect and her relationship with her teammates.
"I think being around people that I love," she said. "Whenever you score or whenever you play good, but even when you play bad, you're around people that you love, and they're super supportive."
Staff Writer
Honoka Hamano didn't have to look far for inspiration. She grew up in Tokyo watching her mother, Minako, play professional soccer, and she knew from an early age that she wanted to follow in her mom's footsteps.
"I started playing soccer when I was three years old because of my mom," Hamano, a senior midfielder on the Georgia soccer team, said after practice Tuesday morning. "I went to watch her games when I was little, and then when we went to the park (one day), I was just watching the other teams practice, and she asked me if I wanted to join them, and I said yes.
"One of my goals is to achieve what my mom did. It's nice that when I'm struggling, she can give me useful advice that helps me."
Travel has been a part of Hamano's life for about as long as she's been playing soccer. She went to boarding school in Japan for six years, and then while playing on Japanese youth national teams, she played in places like Korea and China. She got to play against a U.S. national team when she was younger, "and then I thought that I want to come here and play soccer with them."
Hamano's collegiate career began at Memphis in 2023, and she started 13 of 20 matches for the Tigers and made the AAC All-Rookie Team after scoring two goals and dishing out four assists. Hamano, whom everyone calls "Noki," transferred to UCF for her sophomore and junior seasons, and she led the team with four assists and was tied for second with two goals in 2024. As a junior last season, she earned second-team All-Big 12 honors after scoring four goals and dishing out six assists.
Coming to college in the U.S., Hamano never anticipated playing for multiple schools.
"I didn't even know transferring existed before I came here," she said.
Between Memphis and UCF, Hamano started 44 games, and it's that experience that helped bring her to Georgia, Bulldogs head coach Keidane McAlpine said. Georgia has a young team, with 18 underclassmen, and McAlpine and his staff wanted to add some veterans who have seen and done a bit of everything in their careers, which is why they added Hamano, forward Emma Pettersen (from Middle Tennessee) and Gabbi Ceballos (LSU).
"They all add a level of that maturity. They've seen a few things. This is Emma's second school, but it's Gabbi's third and Noki's third, so they've seen different styles and different tactical ways to solve problems. For them, they just have more tools in their toolbox than the average player," McAlpine said.
Hamano has started 11 of Georgia's 13 games this season, and she has scored a team-high four goals. In Georgia's home opener on Aug. 20, the Soccer In Sanford game in front of a collegiate-record crowd of 25,433 at Sanford Stadium, Hanoko scored a pair of goals in the Bulldogs' 6-0 victory over James Madison. The game has been one of the highlights of her Georgia experience.
"That was so cool that I got to experience that, and then I got to become part of history because of it," she said with a big smile. "It was a win for Georgia soccer and also for women's soccer, I think. I'm glad I got to be part of the history."
She also scored the winning goal against Milwaukee three days later, and was named the SEC player of the week in mid-September after scoring against then-No. 2 Vanderbilt on Sept. 10, on a long shot outside the penalty box. It was her fourth goal of the season.
"I said it early in the year: I think sometimes she's like a cheat code because she's so clean on the ball," McAlpine said. "Even under pressure, she's able to manipulate her way out of situations to get a pass off, to get the ball to the next space."
The Bulldogs (5-3-5, 2-1-3 SEC) are back in action Thursday night in Tuscaloosa, where they will face No. 8 Alabama (12-2-0, 5-1-0). Georgia has won its past two games, beating Texas A&M 2-1 and Ole Miss 1-0 at the Turner Soccer Complex earlier this month, and heads into its final four regular-season games with a lot of confidence. The Bulldogs are back at Turner on Sunday (5 p.m.) for the team's home finale against Missouri.
"Hopefully we can keep going. I really like this team, and I trust them," Hamano said.
When asked to name her favorite thing about playing soccer, Hamano focused on the team aspect and her relationship with her teammates.
"I think being around people that I love," she said. "Whenever you score or whenever you play good, but even when you play bad, you're around people that you love, and they're super supportive."
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
Players Mentioned
Friday, October 09
Saturday, October 03
Thursday, September 24
Friday, September 18