Mertz signs to play at Sonoma State

SANDPOINT — Most know soccer can be a game of fortuitous bounces, but it was a fortuitous vacation whim that helped Sandpoint senior Alicia Mertz land a college scholarship, as the Sonoma State women’s soccer program announced its 2010 recruiting class last week.

Mertz was one of five high school standouts who signed a letter of intent to play for the Seawolves next season, the only recruit not from the state of California. Oddly enough, head coach Luke Oberkirch discovered Mertz while hosting a summer soccer camp last season, and began recruiting her shortly thereafter.

That he saw her at all is the source of an interesting story. While on a family vacation last year in California, Mertz’s mom unexpectedly surprised her daughter with something completely out of the blue.

“She said ‘have you ever heard of Sonoma State?’” recalls Mertz, who replied that she had not. “Well I signed you up for their soccer camp.”

It was a chance for Mertz to show off her game in front of college coaches. The skills and physical presence that made her the Inland Empire League Most Valuable Player in 2009 and the IEL Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, were noticed immediately by Oberkirch.

“Alicia came to our camp last July and we knew right away that she would be a great addition to our program,” says Oberkirch, whose team went 8-9-3 last season in the Division II California Collegiate Athletic Association. “She has some great skills, great composure and can play multiple positions.”

Former Sandpoint girls head coach Adam Tajan knows exactly what the Sonoma State coach likes about Mertz. An imposing physical presence, Mertz managed to score seven goals and dish out three assists last year despite anchoring the back four defensively, playing a huge role in the Bulldogs’ state championship.

Tajan thinks Mertz could make a similar impact right away at the next level, calling her a big game player who delivers in crunch time.

“It’s what she brings to the table,” describes Tajan of his captain. “How physical she plays, the communication and how she reads the game.”

For Mertz, who plans to study business, the partial athletic scholarship was validation of the work she’s put in since playing college soccer became her goal in the ninth grade. She said the coaches have told her she will most likely start at defensive center as a freshman, and she’s eager to tackle the higher level of play.

“I like challenging myself,” says Mertz. “I feel like I might be an underdog, and I’m looking forward to working my way up.”