Melissa Esquivel to continue soccer journey at the next level, joining familiar faces at Cochise

The Kofa senior captain will join former teammate and former coach in Douglas

YUMA, Ariz., (KYMA, KECY) - Many young athletes dream's fall on whether or not they get the opportunity to continue playing the sport they love for an extended period of time.

Some are able to and some not.

For Melissa Esquivel, her desire for the sport of soccer is now opened up for at least another two years. After four years at the varsity level, the Kofa senior has committed to Cochise Community College.

On Monday, it was a day to celebrate her accomplishments along with a warm welcome to her future on the soccer field and in the classroom at the next level.

"This is special with all the support I have here," said Esquivel. "Everyone here has supported me through everything and hopefully will continue to support and love me."

Surrounded by coaches, family, friends and teammates, Esquivel put pen to paper, signing her Letter of Intent to Cochise.

While it was a celebratory day for sure, Esquivel's presence will be truly missed by Lady Kings soccer after pouring her heart out for four years in the program. Through it all, she was a team leader as one of the team's captains. 

Most of all, she wants to be remembered as a positive impact and someone to rely on.

"I definitely want people to remember me for being a good person, being a good teammate, and pushing my teammates to be better," added Esquivel.

In her career, Esquivel scored 12 goals and contributed 20 assists - six of each coming in her final year where the Lady Kings went 7-4-1 overall. 

While the next step is always a challenge, Esquivel was able to make her decision to choose Cochise with open arms - more specifically getting the chance to join familiar faces in the Apaches program that finished fourth in the ACCAC last fall.

She will head to Douglas and join her former Kofa teammate Diana Gonzalez and former head coach Santos Rangel Jr - who spent seven seasons as the Kofa head coach before becoming an assistant coach at Cochise.

After the celebration on Monday inside Rillos Gym, Esquivel reflected on how important the game of soccer is to her and the opportunities it will open up.

"Soccer means so much to me. I've been playing since I was little. I've made a lot of friends through soccer. I've made a lot of memories through soccer. I think soccer has been a big part of my life and I think it will always be a big part of my life," said Esquivel. "It will now bring new experiences, new people I'm going to meet, new memories I'm going to make. And hopefully winning a lot of games."