Student-Athlete Spotlight: Luis Mendoza

For this week’s Student-Athlete Spotlight, we focus on Luis Mendoza from Men’s Soccer. Luis was raised here in Salinas, attended Alisal High School and graduated in 2016. “I started playing soccer in middle school, when one of my cousins invited me to try out, and from there, I started playing a lot more and really started to enjoy it,” shared Luis. When he reached high school, Mendoza was able to play for one of the best soccer teams in the country. However, it was not a smooth ride for Luis as he was faced with adversity in his junior year and was unable to play due to an injury. “When you feel like quitting, think about why you started,” this quote has inspired Luis to continue to pursue soccer. Mendoza did not give up; he decided to make the most out of his senior year achieving a 2015 Monterey Bay Gabilan League Championship, First-team all-league, and 2015 team MVP. Luis had a tough time deciding where to go after high school, “I was dealing with financial problems; Coach Danny called me and encouraged me to attend Hartnell and play soccer,” Luis explained. Mendoza, is currently a Sophomore and is majoring in Computer Science. Given the nickname of “Wicho,” you can hear his teammates encouraging him and making him push himself harder on game days. During his first year playing for Hartnell, he was a starter for 24 games, recorded 8 goals and 1 assist with the total of 17 points! He also accomplished 1st Team All-League and earned Frank Alvarado Coach’s Award. Luis was a vital part of leading his team to the 2016 Coast Conference Championship and their appearance in the Final Four. This year the stats look promising for him, he has played all 12 games and has added 4 goals on the season earning a total of 8 points! Luis plans to continue to play soccer at the university level when he transfers. The biggest supporters have been his friends who attend most of his games and most of all, his family. We are proud of student-athletes such as Luis, hard-working and motivated to succeed. We wish him the best in his future endeavors and the best to the team during this season! Go Panthers!