The Catamount Tribune presented by Redstone Apartments and Lofts is an avenue for UVM student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni, and fans to tell unique stories n their own words. This edition of the Catamount Tribune is written by Alyssa Oviedo, a sophomore on the women's soccer team. Interested in sharing your story for the Catamount Tribune? Please click here.

I nervously stood in front of a stadium full of soccer fanatics. Estadio Panamericano is a beautiful stadium in the Dominican Republic. I had played hundreds of soccer games ever since I fell in love with the sport at four years old, so this was nothing new. But on July 24, 2017, I was as nervous as I had ever been. I was about to play in a championship game, where the winner won a ticket to the second round of U20 World Cup Qualifiers. It was a feat that had never been accomplished by the Dominican Republic– especially against our rival island, Puerto Rico. I found myself in the starting 11, staring into the crowds of fans holding Dominican flags, nervous but ready to play and make history for the Dominican Republic. Right before the whistle blew, my captain came up to me and said "no matter what happens, don't forget that without you and all the goals you scored for us, we wouldn't even be playing in the finals. Just leave your heart on the field – that's all I can ask from you." After a brutal 90 minutes of play, the game ended 1-0, with the Dominican Republic qualifying through to the second round for the first time in history. And I was called la heroina (the hero) who scored the lone, winning goal. Between then and now, I had made several other appearances for the Dominican Republic National Soccer Team, both with the U20 team and also being called up to play with the Superior team. However, none of those tournaments were as successful or as historical as that July championship. But history tends to repeat itself.
 
On February 15, I left the cold weather of Vermont and flew to the Dominican Republic for U20 National Team Training Camp. We were preparing for the upcoming U20 World Cup Qualifiers, where we would face Cuba, Honduras, and the United States in Group C. Being 19 years old, this would be my last appearance with the U20 team, which motivated me to end this tournament on a good note. This tournament was different from the 2017 tournament – normally, several different countries in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) host different rounds of the tournament over the course of several months until two finalists qualify for the World Cup. However, the Dominican Republic was chosen to host 36 different countries, with nine different groups. The first week of the tournament would be group stages, and the top three teams of each group would compete in the second week's Knockout Stages. The two finalists of the tournament would qualify for the U20 World Cup. It was an amazing feeling to know such an important tournament, possibly one of the biggest qualifying tournaments ever, would be held on home soil.
 
Before our first game against Honduras, we went over the starting lineup, some defensive points, and who would wear the captain's band. Not only was I excited to be in the starting 11, but I was chosen to captain the team for this tournament. We set one goal – make it to the Knockout Stage. After a 7-0 win against Honduras, fans were going wild in the stands. This would be the first time that the Dominican Republic had beat a country whose national sport was soccer. We played Cuba and earned a 0-0 draw. And lastly, faced the talented United States. They beat us 4-0, but we were happy we didn't lose 9-0 like other teams did. After earning the second-place spot in Group C, we accomplished our goal of making it to the Knockout Stage. The next goal: make history. No Dominican National Team, men's or women's, had ever made it to the quarterfinal of a World Cup Qualifying Tournament.
 
On our day off, it happened to be Dominican Independence Day. As a side note, soccer is not a very popular sport in the Dominican Republic, especially women's soccer. However, after qualifying to the knockout stages, our team was the talk of the country. We were all over every social media, published in countless newspapers, and at the Independence Day parade we were stopped several times for pictures and for fans to congratulate us. It was then that we realized how much support we really had.
 
Going into Knockout Stages, we were facing El Salvador, another country whose national sport was soccer. We went down 1-0, but a few minutes before halftime, my sister Jazlyn (who is committed to play soccer at Monmouth University) scored a beautiful free kick to tie the game and lift everyone's spirits up. After a motivating halftime talk, we won 7-1. We had accomplished our goal of making it to quarterfinals. Interviews with several news stations and reporters came my way after every game. I often found myself talking about how hardworking this team is, and how we not only played with our hearts, but with pride for our country.
 
Our next goal: beat Jamaica and continue to make history by making it to semifinals. They were a team with speed and strength. However, our run in the tournament so far proved we had an invincible defense and a lethal attack. We scored, 1-0. Jamaica scored, 1-1. It was a very intense game, but we came out on top winning 2-1. We were in shock. Fans were crying. Finally, that feeling I had once felt back in July of 2017 came back. We had made history. We accomplished our goal and made it to semifinals, making us one of the Top 4 teams in CONCACAF. No matter what happened from here, no one could take away the incredible things we accomplished thus far.
 
We were one 90-minute game away from qualifying for the U20 World Cup. Standing in our way was the United States. After a heartbreaking loss, I could only cherish that feeling of accomplishment from 2017. I reminded the girls that no matter what, we all played with our hearts and as a captain, that's all I could've asked for. Each and every girl on the team played with a pride and left their hearts on the field, and that's all the country could've asked for from us.
 
Although we didn't win the ticket to the World Cup, I truly believe we won so much more. One newspaper dubbed us "Las Princesas del Caribe" (Princesses of the Caribbean). Another newspaper published a beautiful quote: "The U.S. and Mexico may have won tickets to the World Cup – but the Dominican girls have won the hearts and respect of this country." This was an experience I will never forget, and I look forward to the rest of the accomplishments my career with the Dominican Republic National team will bring me.