Star Soccer Player Finds Success On and Off the Pitch

The student who stopped playing soccer after high school found a new home, transformed her collegiate career and helped turn UC Merced women's soccer into what it is today. Tijerina has started 26 of the 29 games for UC Merced since the start of 2023 and is a centerpiece of the squad's success, helping lead the Bobcats to their first Cal Pac Tournament Championship and NAIA National Championship Opening Round win a year ago. She is a All-Cal Pac First Team selection and two-time Cal Pac Player of the Week.

She has scored 17 goals in a UC Merced uniform and is on track to break into the program's top 10 of all-time scorers by the end of the year.

Tijerina played outside back last year, helping anchor the top defense in program history, but her relentless goal-scoring efforts gave DuChateau no choice but to move her to forward this season after All-American forward Trinidad Quiroz decided to redshirt.

Tijerina, a defender nearly all her life, has answered the call with 12 goals this season, the first in Bobcat history to reach that mark. Her goals are tied for the league high and rank second among all West Coast programs.

"I'm extremely proud of Yesi's success this season," teammate Trinidad Quiroz said. "It's nothing surprising to any of us because we witness it at our training grounds. She's extremely skilled and can play anywhere Coach puts her. Her success in both an offensive and defensive role shows how versatile she is.

"I've loved sharing the field with a player of her caliber. She's one of our hardest-working players and deserves everything coming her way."

UC Merced is tied for first place in the Cal Pac Conference at 3-0-1 (6-2-2 overall). The Bobcats won their first conference tournament championship a year ago. With three regular season matches left, UC Merced is looking to claim a share of the Cal Pac regular season title for the first time since 2016 or win the league title outright for the first time in program history. Then comes the attempt to repeat as tournament champions and make a run in what would be the Bobcats' final NAIA National Tournament. Next year, UC Merced enters NCAA Division II and the California Collegiate Athletic Association.

Then comes graduation and an opportunity to give back to her hometown.

"I want to go back to Salinas and just make an impact," Tijerina said. "There are limited resources for the Hispanic and low-income community, so I want to use my psychology major to help out. I also like working with little kids, so I'm also interested in working in the hospital with kids with mental health disorders."

Tijerina, born in Tijuana and raised in Salinas, is proud to be Mexican.

"It's not something I hide and anytime that I can show that off, I will," she said. "My dad always taught me to be proud to be Mexican and to be proud to be born in Mexico, I'm super proud of it."

Tijerina's parents and sister are her immediate family, but she also feels the support of her extended family in Salinas and Half Moon Bay, along with grandparents and an aunt who live in Mexico.

It helps that the Tijerina family loves soccer.

"Obviously soccer is very big in the Mexican culture. So whenever the Mexican national team is on, or even an American team vs. Chivas, we all get together as a family to watch the game," she said. "My dad makes carne asada and we just eat and enjoy the game."

As she reflects upon her journey as a student-athlete, she thanks her family for keeping her motivated to become her family's first college graduate.

"I am super proud of my parents for motivating me every single day to just continue what I started. They remind me that I can't play soccer if I don't stay in school, I can't play soccer if I don't get good grades," she said. "Having that motivation from my parents to stay in school and graduate has been the biggest blessing for me."

"Yesi is the best," DuChateau said. "She puts her nose down and gets to work. She is a joy to be around and her teammates and our staff love her. She's another first-generation kid who is a great student. She gets things done and we are so glad that she is with us."

"I am really happy that I made the decision to play college soccer," Tijerina said. "I don't know where I would be now if I didn't."

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.