Dare to Dream
Kelsey Turnbow and Alex Loera drafted into the National Women’s Soccer League
For as long as she can remember, Santa Clara senior Kelsey Turnbow has dreamt of being a professional soccer player. She’s never known life without the sport.
Growing up, she and her family would curl up on the couch and watch “Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team” on repeat, a documentary centered around the Women’s World Cup winning National Team from 1999. She’d watch her idols on the screen—Brandi Chastain, Kristine Lilly, Mia Hamm—and envision reaching that level of play someday.
Senior Alex Loera has always stood out on the soccer field. Coaches knew she had remarkable talent, even from a young age. As an early teen she started playing with girls with more skill, more speed, more ball control—which made Loera work even harder. Her potential grew, and so did her love for the game.
Turnbow and Loera were drafted into the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) on Jan. 13. The two received national spotlight as their professional soccer dreams became a reality.
“Blessed and humbled,” Turnbow said as she described her feelings in that moment. Loera backed that sentiment with “surreal.”
Turnbow, taken 18th overall by the Chicago Red Stars, leads the Broncos’ offensive front. In collegiate soccer, goals are worth two points while assists are worth one. Turnbow, in 67 career games as a Bronco, has collected 92 points—40 of which came in 2019.
Kelsey Turnbow playing youth soccer
The 2019 season represented a career year for the Broncos’ vice-captain, as Turnbow’s game soared to new heights. Turnbow recorded career highs in goals (15), assists (10), points (40), shots (71), and shots on goal (47). She increased her scoring output with sharp shots and improved efficiency.
The underlying statistics suggest that Turnbow has the capability to further develop her game, evidenced by the Red Stars’ selection of the Santa Clara forward in the second round.
Loera was taken in the fourth round with the 36th overall pick by Kansas City. Loera has started every game in her Santa Clara career, solidifying herself as a reliable midfielder.
In her first two years as a Bronco, she only recorded three total points. So, Loera changed her style of play for the 2019-20 season. She vowed to shoot more.
The result? Loera set a career high in every offensive category. She scored more goals (four) and assists (four) than she had combined points in the previous two seasons.
“Goalies aren’t really expecting a center back to shoot the ball,” Loera said. “I became more comfortable with my accuracy and was able to catch a lot of goalies off guard from shooting from far out.”
The uncertainty of any draft night can be daunting for prospective athletes, and this year was no exception. The days leading up to the virtual draft were filled with nervous excitement.
Turmbow did not have to wait long to hear the announcement. Once she saw her name get called on television, Turnbow was overcome with emotion. She turned to celebrate the special moment with her biggest supporters: her family. Her mom already had her iPhone out ready to capture the moment on video.
“They are the ones who have provided so much for me,” said Turnbow. “It was all the more special with [them].”
Turnbow’s attention then shifted to her senior teammates. She was eager to hear another familiar name get called. Nearly 20 selections later, she rejoiced. With the 36th pick, Loera was taken by Kansas City.
Alex Lorea (left) and her mom (right)
“After hearing my name, emotions were flooding from everywhere,” Loera said. “All the sacrifices everyone has had to make, especially my parents. It all meant something.”
Loera’s family flew from Colorado to Santa Clara to be with her for this special moment. Loera’s mother was moved to tears as she saw her daughter’s dreams unfold.
A common sentiment between these two Broncos is utter gratitude. Their families, coaches and teammates instilled the belief within them that they could and would achieve their goals. The breadth of support for these athletes runs wide. They each emphasized their desire to personally thank the Santa Clara women’s soccer staff (Jerry Smith, Greg Murphy, Curtis McAllistar and Brandi Chastain) for their lasting commitment towards their achievements.
Many women on Santa Clara’s soccer team remember gathering around the TV to watch their former teammate Maria Sanchez get drafted by Chicago in 2019. Sanchez’s journey to professional stardom brought Turnbow and Loera’s very real future to the limelight.
“I was able to witness her dreams come true,” Turnbow said. “We saw how much dedication and passion she had for the game. In that moment [I knew] I had the same childhood dream [as Maria], and the same drive to make it to the next level.”
Outer support networks alone did not lead to these successes—Turnbow and Loera also made significant personal sacrifices. Turnbow missed her high school graduation and prom for national soccer tournaments. Loera skipped high school dances for practices and training sessions.
Both Broncos had to balance the rigorous demand that the student-athlete lifestyle brings. They’ve taken exams on bus rides, studied in hotel lobbies and finished assignments in airport gates. But these educational hurdles that Turnbow and Loera overcame finally paid off.
While neither Turnbow nor Loera truly know what their future holds, they do know that there is still work to be done at Santa Clara. Each Bronco plans to embark on their professional careers in 2022, and use their additional year of eligibility as redshirt seniors in Santa Clara.
Chicago and Kansas City will welcome each of these stars with open nets. For now, they have sights set on a National Championship as Broncos next fall. The little girls who once dreamed of mirroring their idols will play among them soon enough.