Pine Creek senior-to-be Myah Isais already has her college soccer plans sorted out, but how she’ll spend her final high school season isn’t as clear.
Isais, a defender for her Colorado Storm Elite Clubs National League U18/19 team who has spent her time with the Eagles in more of an attacking role, committed to University of New Mexico in the spring. She plans to sign in February.
“I just love the coaching staff. They are very experienced in what they do,” Isais said.
“When I talked to them, it really seemed like they wanted me to be a student-athlete at University of New Mexico.”
After finishing her junior season at Pine Creek with 10 goals — tied for the team high — and four assists, Isais set out for Seattle with her club teammates, most of whom graduated in May, for the ECNL National Finals in late June.
The Storm won all three games in group play to advance to the national semifinals.
The Storm dropped a 2-0 result to McLean YS, the eventual champions.
It was the second year in a row Isais and her teammates fell to the team that went on to win it all, but the experience figures to be valuable going forward.
“It’s great,” Isais said. “I mean honestly. It’s probably one of the best things to have when you want to go to college for the sport.”
The plan, as of now, is for Isais to play in the back at the next level.
“I feel like that’s where I’m strongest, but at the same time, I’m going into college with an open mind,” she said.
Isais grew up playing for the Pride organization before joining the Storm’s ECNL squad as a freshman, playing mostly with sophomores. Her recruitment picked up the following year, and she got on the Lobos’ radar after an identification camp in the summer of 2017.
With most of her club teammates off to the NCAA soccer ranks this fall, Isais will team with some new faces on the Colorado Rapids U19 ECNL squad following a club merger.
What’s to be determined is if she’ll suit up for the Eagles this spring.
While she doesn’t plan to enroll early at UNM — like Cheyenne Mountain’s Claire Ross did a year ago at Mississippi State — she is considering a path similar to Doherty’s Mykiaa Minniss who opted to train with her club instead of play for the Spartans her final spring before joining the Washington State program.
Isais had previously worried about losing touches on the ball if she didn’t suit up in high school but said her club will have more training options now.
“We want me to be as prepared as I can be going into college,” she said.
“We’ll definitely see. It’s definitely something we’ll think about.”
What doesn’t need additional thought is where she’ll head after the spring in question.
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