After watching Maui Interscholastic League soccer as a youngster, Leialoha Medeiros dreamed of becoming The Maui News MIL Player of the Year.

After a recent vote by the league’s coaches, she can check that box before graduating from Kamehameha Schools Maui in May and going on to her career at the University of Hawaii.

“I’m very humbled and honored to accept this award, and to join past recipients who I have long admired and respected,” Medeiros said Wednesday. “Receiving this award was a goal of mine that I set back in freshman year and now hearing that I’m awarded Player of the Year, it’s just a dream come true.”

Rainbow Wahine coach Michele Nagamine is excited to have Medeiros coming aboard as one of the seven players who recently signed scholarship agreements.

“Lei is solid all around — she is very good technically and has a great understanding of the game,” Nagamine was quoted as saying on the UH athletics website last month. “Lei comes from a great family and knew early on that she wanted to stay home. She has a deep love and appreciation for UH that really came through during the recruiting process. I love her presence on the field; she works extremely hard and carries herself with a lot of confidence.”

MIL champion Baldwin landed six players on the 12-player MIL first team: Kacy-Lyn Navarro (forward), Skylar Littlefield (midfielder), Piilani Chaves (defender), Brynn Kubo (defender), Malie Kuia (goalkeeper) and Angelle Ferge (utility).

Medeiros’ teammates Ilihia Keawekane (forward) and Kameaiomakamae Drayer-Hoopii (defender) also made the first team, as did Maui High’s Chai Cortez (midfielder) and Brianna Yamamoto (midfielder), and King Kekaulike’s Mia Rose Daly (defender).

Brandon Kotter was named by his peers as MIL Coach of the Year after leading the Warriors to the state tournament in his first season. He said Medeiros was a large part of that success.

“Coming into this season and being the new coach, her ability not only to play the game but her established leadership amongst her peers really separated her from the rest of the group from what I see,” Kotter said.

Medeiros scored 13 goals as the Warriors made the state tournament for the seventh straight season.

Kotter said moving Keawekane from defender to forward in mid-December made a big difference for his team. In the first game after the move, Keawekane scored five goals in a 7-1 win over Maui High — four of Keawekane’s tallies came on assists from Medeiros.

“She and Ilihia played together for years,” Kotter said. “I think coming into this season and partnering them, it really helped us get better.”

Medeiros remembers playing with Keawekane since they were 7-year-olds for the Wailuku Bruisers, who were coached by B.J. Medeiros, Leialoha’s father.

The pair of lifelong friends discussed the player of the year award before Medeiros got word of her selection this week.

“We actually thought Skylar (Littlefield) had a really good chance,” Medeiros said. “And then (Keawekane) said, like, ‘No Lei, I think you’re going to get it.’ I was, like, ‘Oh yeah, really?” Then I got the news and I was just smiling from ear to ear. I couldn’t stop smiling. We were hugging, it was just a really good moment.”

Benedetta Medeiros, Leialoha’s mother, was also a driving force in Medeiros’ development.

“Without my family, without my fellow teammates, from the age of 7 to now, from club at Maui United, my coach at Maui United Brent Nunes, all the coaching staff over there, and coach Brandon in high school soccer,” Medeiros said. “Everything, just everything from when I started to now, has prepared me for this moment and for the rest of my life.”