Ashley Quiroz
Dynamo El Centro Soccer Club girls’ 2001 Orange team
On Sunday morning, the Dynamo El Centro Soccer Club girls’ 2001 Orange team will play in the championship game of the Cal South State Cup.
Helping the team advance to the final was 15-year-old goalkeeper Ashley Quiroz.
Quiroz helped the team advance out of Round 16, the quarterfinals and the semifinals, allowing just one goal in the three wins.
“I felt pretty proud afterward,” said Quiroz. “I would have liked to have had three shutouts, but overall I felt like I did my part to help my team win.”
Quiroz said while she was a bit nervous before every game due to the tough competition, the semifinal was particularly nerve wrecking as the game had to be decided in overtime.
“Mentally I was preparing and stressing that it might go to penalty kicks,” Quiroz said with a laugh. “So when we scored in that first overtime period I just felt like this huge weight was lifted.”
Quiroz added that she has a lot of faith in her team heading into the final and is excited to take to the field on Sunday.
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What do you enjoy most about your sport?
I love that rush you get when the final whistle blows and you know you’ve left it all out on the field. I like that it’s not a one person sport and that you have to work with everyone to win.
What is one of your more memorable moments in your sport?
I think it’d have to be this year when we came back (against Calexico High) to win the Noujaim Cup. That was really special. We were down 2-0, but we tied it in the finals seconds and won in penalty kicks and I blocked a penalty kick.
Who inspires you and why?
My dad inspires me because he was a good soccer player and was semi-pro. He pushes me to do better and has always supported me since day one. I definitely wouldn’t be here without him.
What are your goals for the rest of this season?
To win the state cup and show everyone how hard we work and that our team from the Imperial Valley can play well too.