Sayonara to soccer senior

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat Senior defender Veronica Ramirez (25) tries to strip the ball from a Washington State player Oct. 25. This weekend's games against UCLA and USC mark the end of Ramirez's UA career.

UA soccer senior defender Veronica Ramirez will wake up and see what the real world is like when her four-year dream comes to a close with the end of her collegiate soccer career this weekend.

"I always dreamed to play college soccer," Ramirez said. "And to have had the opportunity to play in my hometown, I really feel I have accomplished a lot."

Ramirez began her career as a Wildcat after graduating in '95 from Tucson's Palo Verde High School.

"I never really looked into other schools," she said. "I had the opportunity to play here, so of course I did that."

And in her past years as a Wildcat, Ramirez has helped hold a strong defensive line for her team, said UA women's soccer assistant coach Jen Netherwood. No matter if it was stepping up in the game in front of her opponent, or intercepting an offensive pass, or clearing a long ball out of the Wildcats' defensive end, Ramirez has lent a "defensive spark" to the backfield, Netherwood said.

"On the field, she has the ability to read the game. To read where passes are going, so she can intercept them before her opponent gets a foot on the ball," Netherwood said.

She added that in the past month she has seen Ramirez rise to play the best soccer of her career. A career that Ramirez is ready to bid farewell to.

"I'm disappointed with the season," Ramirez said. "I'm sad that this my last season and that it's been such a rough time. Yeah, I am going to miss it, but it's time to move on."

Netherwood commented that she has seen a change in focus for Ramirez in the past three years she has been coaching the defender.

"Veronica has made extreme progress," Netherwood said. "Her focus and motivation toward academics has really increased."

Ramirez is majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences. She'd like to get a job in audiology, and she plans on looking into that field more, and will also consider graduate school.

"I don't plan on living in Tucson forever," she said. "But my family is here, so if I get a job here, yeah, I'll stay."

Ramirez said she'd also like to stick around to support the team.

"I want to wish them luck," she said.

But after the team completes its season this weekend with games against UCLA and Southern Cal, and the returning players begin the focus for next year, Ramirez will move on to get back to the things that have been second in her life to her soccer career.

"I'm going to get a lot of rest," Ramirez said. "I am going to do more studying, and try to have a social life once again."

Even though she may have made mistakes along the way, and soccer may have taken up many hours of her life with practices, off-season training, coach talks, team discussions, road trips, home games and service projects, if the time was hers to delegate again, "I would do it all again," she said.

Kate Longworth can be reached via e-mail at Kate.Longworth@wildcat.arizona.edu.