BOISE - Centennial High School alum Sophia Huerta was selected 11th overall by the Chicago Red Stars in the second round of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) on Friday.
"I woke up at 6 a.m.," Huerta said. "I had all my friends around me, and my boyfriend with me. The support was overwhelming."
When the second round began, Chicago Red Stars coach Rory Dames called Huerta.
"[Dames] called me and said they were going to select me as the 11th overall pick if I was still around," Huerta said. "He asked if I was ready to come to Chicago, and I told him I was."
Huerta, a 2011 graduate of Centennial and two-time Idaho Gatorade "Player of the Year" in 2010 and 2011, recently wrapped up her senior season at Santa Clara University. There, she was named the 2014 co-West Coast Conference player of the year among other accolades, scoring 17 goals.
A former member of Les Bois soccer club, now FC Nova, Huerta credits her coaches and teammates for getting her to this point.
"It's a great club. You have coaches who really care about you and players who are competitive and want to be successful," Huerta said. "The amount of games and practices I was able to play because of FC Nova has helped me tremendously."
For the younger generation of players, Huerta believes it's the dedication to the sport, not skill that will help get you to the next level.
"I have teammates at Santa Clara who are really talented and could play at the professional level, but they don't have the dedication to take it to the next level," Huerta said. "It takes a lot of hard work and heart. It's really the dedication and hard work that take you further."
