Carlos Lopez
Amherst
A stellar regular season for the Amherst Falcons has led them to a third seed in the WIAA 2024 Division 4 Boys soccer tournament and a home regional matchup against Saint Lawrence Seminary on Oct. 24.
A group of aggressive goal-scorers paved the way for a 19-3-0 record for the Falcons in 2024. One of the players to lead the charge is Carlos Lopez, who finished the regular season tied for the conference lead in goals (29) with his teammate Ayden Kazda.
Son of Carlos Humberto Rodriguez Cardenas and Fatima Concepcion Lopez Pastrana, Carlos credits his dad with introducing him to the sport.
“I started when I was 4 years old. My dad started me on this sport. At 7 years old I was out on the street playing soccer since we didn’t have a field. I would leave my house at 6 and come back home at 10 p.m. all this time playing soccer with my friends and we played without shoes because I remember that the only shoes we had were just the ones to go to school with.”
Lopez, who can play on both the left and right wing, believes his dribbling and finding open spaces for his teammates to be his biggest asset on the field and believes his love of soccer has set him up for success, “ My favorite part is when friends and family members come up to me and say “wow I can’t believe I saw you in the news and that you are a top guy in the state” is something I would never forget. The love I have for soccer has been unconditional since day one.”
As a soccer fan, he looks up to two legends of the sport as his favorite athlete. “I would like to say Cristiano Ronaldo because I like his mindset and how hard he works. And Neymar because his skills are amazing and because that’s who I grew up watching.”
Lopez’s bicycle kick he executed off a pass from teammate Drew Lewallen during his sophomore season against Pacelli. Lopez appreciates his coaches and teammates as his family. “Linde and Pikka have been way more than just coaches in my life; they have helped me in every little thing I have needed and that means a lot to me. I don’t see my teammates just as teammates. For me they mean family. We all push ourselves to become better players on the field.”
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