Nancy Mendoza looks far bigger on the soccer field than she actually is.

At 5-foot-6, the Southside senior sweeper plays with a chip on her shoulder. Southside coach Jeremy Davis loves her zest for the game.


Mendoza can score, defend, and, without a doubt, gives great answers on what it means to be a Southside Maverick.

"The uniform, obviously if you wear it, you're representing Southside," she said. "Anything you do can affect the way people look at Southside; the way they look at the soccer team."

Being a Southside Maverick means a lot to Mendoza.

"To me, wearing this uniform is a big privilege," she said. "Why? Because it's just knowing the fact that I can be a skilled player, as many of these girls (teammates) can, and I'm capable of doing anything."

Including score, defend. And, of course, run.

"Most people think it's just running, but to me it's a purpose," Mendoza said. "You have a purpose as in to put the ball in the goal; you have a purpose to win.

"(But) win or lose, there's still some purpose to it in the end."


"I've talked to some college coaches about her playing forward," Davis said. "She is so fast, she's capable of doing a lot."

Mendoza has been running up and down the soccer fields since she was barely out of diapers. Her biggest obstacle, in addition to conditioning, has been to keep it fun.

"I've been playing soccer since I was four," she said. "It's been a heck of a burnout, at times, but I'm hoping to play college ball."

"You get tired of it at some point, but not enough to quit," she said. "You never know, you might step up your game and do more magic. You never know when you're going to have a few more miracles."

The Mavericks could have used one late in last week's match with state power and 7A-Central foe Cabot. The team, made up mostly of sophomores and juniors, put up three goals against the Panthers (9-2) but couldn't overcome a late three-goal deficit. The three goals are the most allowed by Cabot this season.

But Southside is 7-2 overall and, despite the loss to 3-0 Cabot, the Mavs are 2-1 in league play.


Technically, Mendoza plays sweeper. In reality, though, she does much more.

"I'm a sweeper or one of the back four," she said. "Whenever I receive the ball, I want to risk it, because you never know — something might open up in the last few seconds and you get a goal."

"We've talked about moving her up," Davis said. "She's great at keeping other players from scoring. She's really fast; she can play anywhere."

On a team with plenty of firepower, Mendoza gives Davis plenty of firepower. Four girls — Mendoza, Kelly Carson, Dianna Gurrero and Rachel Smith — have scored four or more goals. Impressive numbers just nine games into the season.

Small but quick, Mendoza is well on her way to topping what she did as a junior. Through nine matches, the 5-6 senior has four goals.

Mendoza scored 11 goals last season.

"Nancy grew up playing soccer with boys, so she's really quick with her decisions and she understands the game," Carson said. "Although she does have a good attack, I like her best in the back (sweeper) because she always saves us when we need it the most."

"Last year we had a little bit of a struggle finishing," Mendoza said. "This year, I think a lot of strong players capable of finishing. Maybe this year they're (teammates) on their game; maybe they're thinking about going to the finals.

"We're playing good together."
