Fever Pitch
February 03, 2004 | Women's Soccer
by Mason Kelley
Playing soccer comes as naturally to Nicole Martinez as breathing. Her dad, a former player himself, taught Martinez the nuances of the game.
"He taught me and I have never stopped," Martinez said of her father, Will, who lives in California.
Martinez's parents have been instrumental in her life in ways far greater than instilling her love for a game she will play as long as she can. Martinez lived with her mother, Joanne Nutley, as a child, but remains close with her father.
"I remember my parents always coming to my rec league games," she says. "They would always bring the oranges at halftime and that would really pump me up, because I knew I had people watching me."
Watching Martinez has been a priority for her parents, but has proven more difficult for her California-based father than her Redmond-based mother. Fortunately, the Huskies usually play several games a year in the Sunshine State, and Will is at every one.
"Having my dad there is awesome," says Martinez. "Last year he was pretty disappointed that we didn't go down there at all, but this year he will be at the games against the northern and southern California schools."
Martinez' father may indeed see more games this year than her mother, who will soon be moving to Singapore.
"I'm all alone now," Martinez says jokingly.
Fortunately, Martinez has drawn plenty of attention for her play on the field since arriving at Washington in 2001. Martinez was forced into action immediately when Pac-10 Defender of the Year Andrea Morelli suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason. It is a testament to Martinez' ability that not only did the Husky defense not wither without its best player, it actually improved statistically, surrendering just 12 goals, a school record.
The true freshman was honored after the season as the team's defensive MVP and Rookie of the Year.
"It was scary, but at the same time I think I was a little bit ignorant," Martinez says of her freshman campaign. "I didn't know about the big-time schools. I didn't care about the UCLAs and the USCs; it was just another team that we had to play."
While Martinez had another good season during her sophomore campaign, the Huskies fell just short of an NCAA tournament bid.
"The way we look at it, we shouldn't have even given the NCAA a chance to not let us in," Martinez says. "It is totally on ourselves. Now, it's up to us to change that outcome this year."
The Huskies are looking to get past last year and move back up to the top of the Pac-10. With Martinez leading the way, the defense should be as stingy as ever, even after losing star goalkeeper Hope Solo to the WUSA.
"This year we are really excited because we have all returning players on defense," says Martinez. "We are pretty much settled into what we are doing, and are just working on clicking and getting everyone on the same page."
Huskies' coach Lesle Gallimore recognizes Martinez's importance to the defense and wants her to take her game to the next level this year.
"Nicole needs to step up and be a big leader for us at the back this year," Gallimore says. "She needs make sure that she's not only taking care of what she needs to take care of, but to also lead a group of four or five players. I think that will be Nicole's biggest challenge and I certainly think she is capable of it."
When Martinez wraps up her career at Washington, she would like to continue playing professionally somewhere.
"I would like to play when I am done," Martinez says. "If not, I will probably end up coaching."
Maybe then Martinez can pass on the gift of a love for soccer that her father once gave to her.
