SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports

Where are they now?

Lisette Martinez

Hilltop grad now patrols pitch for SDSU women's team

By Phillip Brents
Posted Sept. 25, 2003

When the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup kicked off last Saturday, San Diego State University sophomore forward Lisette Martinez was relegated to watching it on television rather than experiencing the international tournament¹s drama and grandeur as an active participant.

"I was hoping Mexico would be in it," said the 2002 Hilltop High School graduate who is entering her second season on the SDSU women's soccer team.

Martinez finds herself in a wholly unique situation as a soccer player in this country by being able to represent Mexico in international play while also pursuing an education both on the field and in the classroom at a Division I school in the United States. In developing its program from scratch prior to the last Women's World Cup, Mexican administrators sought
out help from players of Mexican descent playing in respected organized leagues north of the border.

In many cases, that meant scouting Mexican-American players competing at the high school and collegiate level. Martinez was among those players identified in that talent search. She
competed for the Mexican under-19 women's national team at last summer's FIFA Women's World Youth Championships in Canada. She scored a goal in a match against Brazil.

"It was a great experience. I hope they call me me for any matches in the future," she said.

Mexico failed to qualify for the 2003 Women's World Cup final draw of 16 nations after losing a playoff for the final berth against Japan. The teams tied 2-2 in front of more than 100,000 fans in Mexico City before Japan won the return match 2-0 on Asian soil

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"The second game (Mexico) played a totally different game," said Martinez, who drew a call-up to the senior national team for a recent tournament in Costa Rica won by the Mexicans.

In the meantime, Martinez, whose travels with Team Mexico also took her to Trinidad & Tobago for a qualifying match, intends to focus her attention on the current college season as she helps SDSU hopefully build on last season¹s 13-7-0 overall record and fourth-place finish in the Mountain West Conference.

In that regard, the five-foot-four 19-year-old said the international experience with the Mexican under-19 national team has helped develop her game at the collegiate level. "It was something that taught me a few important things about soccer. I hadn't played it at at that type of level before," she said.

A four-year letter-winner at Hilltop, Martinez helped the Lancers win back-to-back South Bay League titles while earning the school's 2001 Most Valuable Player award and Player of the Year honors. An All-San Diego Section First Team selection, she said her best memories as a Lancer came during her senior year when she was counted on as a team leader and helped the team capture another league championship banner.

Aztec head coach Chuck Clegg described Martinez' current role on the team as a midfield-holding forward.

"She's very clever. We normally play her up but a couple preseason injuries have forced us to play her back in the midfield. She's very clever with her play-making but Division I is more physical. There¹s always pressure here," Clegg said.

Martinez admitted she is still fine-tuning her game.

"I'm getting there," she said.

Martinez was named MWC Offensive Player of the Week for the period ending Sept. 22 after helping SDSU to two shutout victories over the weekend: 3-0 against Southern Utah and 1-0 against Weber State. She assisted on three of the Aztecs four goals.

She joined SDSU goalkeeper Stephanie Pearson (Defensive Player of the Week) on the MWC honor roll.

SDSU returns to action Friday, Sept. 26, with a 1 p.m. match against Nevada.

When asked to describe the major differences between competing in high school and college, Martinez focused her answer in the area of training, particularly in terms of individual skill assessment. "There is an emphasis on each player. All the girls here are determined to be better," she said.

Martinez said the initial goal she had in the Aztecs program was simply to make the team¹s Division I roster. She appeared in 20 matches last year, starting 11 games while tallying four goals and four assists to rank in a tie for third overall in team scoring. She holds the unique distinction along with senior forward teammate Kim Castellanos, a product of Rancho Bernardo High School, of scoring a goal on her first touch in her first college game.

"I walked onto the field. There was a cross and I shot it in. That was a great way to start your college career," she said with a smile.

Martinez has been playing soccer since age five, getting her start by wanting to emulate her brother Damian. She moved up through the competitive club circuit, playing locally for the Chula Vista United Rangers, South Bay Aguilas and Bonita Rebels.

"I like the whole intensity of the game. It's a team effort. Everyone has to work together," she said.

She said the motivation she finds now to continue to improve her own game is "to make a difference as a player and to help younger players gain confidence" on the playing field.

"I'm looking to help out. When I came onto the team my first year, it was difficult, I want to help the younger players be comfortable playing and learning the game at this level," she said.

SDSU returns 15 letterwinners and 10 starters from last year's team. Martinez is not alone in expressing her excitement about the potential for this season.

"I think the team is so much better. We're more fit and have more talent. We've been talking about working together and staying focused," she said.

"We're excited. We had a lot of injuries in the past season. We have a lot of young kids we¹re excited about. The quality of recruits is high," said Clegg, whose 10-year coaching record stands at 118-75-6.

Cornerkicks
Among SDSU's losses to graduation was forward Arinda Alvarez, a Chula Vista native, who was named to the MWC First Team along with Castellanos. A walk-on in the spring of 2001, Alvarez scored five goals and one assist in 2002 to finish her two-year career at Montezuma Mesa with seven goals and five assists.