Women's Soccer | 6/12/2020 1:45:00 PM

Gonzalez Making Her Mark with Alcorn Soccer Program

LORMAN, Miss. – There isn't a current student-athlete on the campus of Alcorn State University that ranks higher in the record book for his/her respective sport than Mireya Gonzalez from the soccer program.
 
Gonzalez will enter the 2020 season ranked second all-time in program history in assists and sixth in total points. She's three assists away from matching the all-time record and has her entire senior season in front of her.
 
A 2019 All-Conference selection, Gonzalez also broke into the single-season record book in goals, points and assists last season. In her career, she's started in all 42 games she's played in.
 
"It motivates me to potentially break school records this year and to be better. Though, it really isn't about personal accomplishments and I want us to be successful as a team," Gonzalez said. "I was pretty shocked that I made All-Conference because we didn't have a great season. I just try to give it my all no matter what the score is and to do what I can for the team."
 
Gonzalez was distinguished by Alcorn Athletics when she won the 2019-20 Female Brave Award, distributed to just one woman on campus that is an outstanding citizen in the community, on campus and excels on the field. She was also named Team MVP.
 
Gonzalez will be playing for first-year head coach Kevin Larry who was recently hired in May.
 
"There's nothing more powerful than a woman who chooses to believe in herself and goes all in on her dreams," Larry said.
 
Gonzalez's success at Alcorn traces back to the beginning. When she arrived as a freshman in 2017, she made an immediate impact on the team. Not only did she start all 14 games, but the forward played all 90 minutes seven times. Gonzalez scored the game-winning goal in a victory over Grambling State and helped the Lady Braves qualify for the SWAC Championships.
 
"I didn't know if I could come in and be a key player right away. At a lot of schools, freshmen don't usually start. Though, I knew there was always that chance I could play a lot of minutes if I kept working hard at practice, and I had to be ready for when the opportunities were presented," Gonzalez said. "My goal from the beginning was to try and turn the program around and help build a foundation over four years."
 
In the SWAC tournament in 2017, the Lady Braves squared off with top-seeded Alabama State in the first round. Alcorn led 1-0 on a goal in the 21st minute, and the score was tied 1-1 at half. Alabama State was able to garner a goal early in the second half and barely hung on for a 2-1 decision against a resilient Alcorn squad that fired 15 shots in the contest.
 
"We had great team chemistry that year and overcame a lot. We were all really dedicated and motivated, especially by the end of the season and I don't think Alabama State expected that from us. That game was a great experience because it was a lot different from a regular conference game. The stakes were higher and we wanted to prove that we could play with the top team," Gonzalez said.
 
In her sophomore year in 2018, Gonzalez continued to play a significant role on the squad. She ended the year ranked second on the team in goals and third in both points and shots on goal.
 
This past season, Gonzalez led the Lady Braves in nearly every statistical category including points, goals, assists, shots and shots on goal.
 
One of her career highlights came in the final game of the year in a 6-3 victory over Mississippi Valley State. She netted a hat trick (three goals) and helped Alcorn break the single-game team scoring record with six goals. Gonzalez said she believes ending the season on such a high-note can carry over into the following year.
 
"It was one of my better games, but it was more about the team's effort than it was about any individual performances," Gonzalez said. "We ended last season on a positive note. Despite the scores of some of the games, we learned a lot and really improved throughout the course of the year. It was a good ending, which could turn into a good start for this upcoming year."
 
A native of Los Angeles, California, Gonzalez traveled a great distance to attend Alcorn. She was scouted by a coach over the summer going into her senior year of high school while playing club soccer with Burbank Red Machine at a showcase tournament. She signed a scholarship and committed to Alcorn on National Signing Day in Feb. 2017. Gonzalez had never stepped foot on Alcorn's campus until she arrived for soccer fall camp in Aug. 2017.
 
"I always had my mind set on going to school somewhere out of state. I'm a really independent person so I wasn't scared or nervous about coming to Alcorn without having visited. I was more nervous about soccer and being fit than I was about the actual move," Gonzalez said. "It was a culture change for me at first since I'm a city girl, but it didn't take me long to adjust. I was always busy with soccer and school and was able to meet a lot of new people."
 
Gonzalez said she's enjoyed her three years on The Reservation thus far.
 
"The best part about being at Alcorn is how you never feel excluded. Everyone is very friendly and the southern hospitality is real. The environment is what makes it a special place and the small-school feel makes it easy to get comfortable really fast," Gonzalez said.
 
Academically, Gonzalez is on pace to graduate with a degree in pre-law and political science. She wants to pursue law school upon graduation and become an attorney.
 
Though right now, Gonzalez isn't thinking too far beyond her undergraduate years and has been keeping up her training this summer for the upcoming soccer season.
 
"I've been doing a lot of fitness, technical work with the ball and shooting. Our strength coach [Lonnie] Maddox gave us a summer plan that has helped a lot," Gonzalez said. "Our team has been doing weekly Zoom calls to talk about our workouts and being prepared for the upcoming season. We are all staying focused and excited to get back."
 
Gonzalez will be one of two seniors on the squad along with Anouchka Berthelot, a two-year letterwinner who transferred from Dixie State University.
 
"We have a new coach this year who's done a great job of keeping us all connected. He's bringing in a lot of new players and I'm excited to see where we'll end up this year," Gonzalez said. "Not only do we want to make the SWAC tournament, but we also want to win it."
 
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