For a rookie, Houston Aces forward Melony Poviones came through like a veteran player in the clutch.
The Miami Lakes native scored the only two goals in the 2014 Women’s Premier Soccer League Final Four semifinal game against the Connecticut CFC Passion, propelling her team to the championship game.
But her team’s victory paled compared to her nostalgic experience.
“There was a time frame where I was homesick and wanted to go home,” she said. “I came in and literally scored two effortless goals. I hadn’t been scoring too much and hadn’t been on my A game.”
The Aces lost the championship game, 1-0, to the Long Beach Futbol Club.
As the Aces’ training camp is underway, Poviones is embarking on her second season as a professional soccer player and seeking another shot at the championship to avenge her team’s loss. The Aces opened up their preseason on March 27.
Poviones, a St. Thomas University alumna, finished last season with 10 goals and 8 assists.
She helped lead the Aces to the Big Sky South Division regular season championship.
The 5’3 nimble player scored eight goals against division opponents and Houston won the Big Sky South title with an 8-1-1 record.
The Aces defeated the Tampa Bay Hellenic and Oklahoma City FC in the South Region playoffs.
Poviones played big against Connecticut, as the youngest player on the team single-handedly kicked her way to the championship game.
She said her rookie season was an experience she will never forget.
“My first year was very nerve-racking at times coming in as a college player and actually being the youngest player on the team,” she said. “But all in all, the girls made me feel comfortable. It was a fun experience and fun enough for me to want to come back again.”
Poviones said the shift from college to the pros was difficult at first but she’s adjusting to the transition of being out on her own and staying active off the playing field.
“Going to the pros was such a transition, not having school and not having a set schedule that the down time was a challenge,” she said. “I prefer to keep busy. St. Thomas University definitely kept me focused, it balanced everything else out for me.”
Poviones rose to fame as a Bobcat, scoring 46 goals and recording 20 assists in three seasons.
As the team’s captain, she led the Bobcats to a Sun Conference Championship and to the Round 16 at the 2013 NAIA National Championships.
In her senior season, Poviones ranked third in the nation with 28 goals and finished fourth with 66 points.
Twice, she tied a school record with five goals and 11 points against Florida Memorial University and scored six game-winning goals that ranked sixth in the nation.
She was a third-team All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association as a senior and a first-team All-Conference selection in 2012 and 2013.
“Those were the most memorable moments of my career, playing at STU and being able to win as a team, score goals for the team and work as a team,” she said. “I can have a great game professionally and score a couple of goals but it doesn’t compare to how it felt playing at STU and with my family here.”
During the offseason, Poviones returned to St. Thomas University for her final semester last fall and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.
“I am not going to be able to rely on soccer for the rest of my life,” she said.
She also coached the Miami Lakes under eight youth girls soccer team at the Miami Lakes United Soccer Club.
“I am going to miss them but I will be coaching a youth team in Houston,” she said. “I love kids and love coaching and that’s what I want to continue to do down the road.”