Marlee Fray wondered if a moment like last Sunday would ever again be possible.
A redshirt junior forward on UTSA women’s soccer team, Fray’s body betrayed her in recent years, chipping away at a stellar career that included a spot on the Jamaican national team and distinction as one of the top high school players in Florida.
One knee injury turned into two, then three and four. Surgeries and rehab processes as long as four hours daily after practices became as frequent as goals and assists.
“It was hard a lot of days, but I have such a love of the game of soccer and the team here is so awesome, I just knew I had to get back to fully be a part of that,” Fray said.
Fray has earned her place in a big way. She scored two goals, including heading in Isa Hernandez’s corner kick early in overtime for the game-winner, as UTSA slipped past Florida Atlantic 3-2 to win the Conference USA championship and advance to the NCAA tournament.
The Roadrunners (12-5-4) play TCU at 7 p.m. Friday at Garvey-Rosenthal Stadium in Fort Worth.
Twelve years ago, UTSA won the Southland Conference title to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament but was blanked by Portland 9-0. That Portland squad featured future NWSL players Sophie Schmidt, Michelle Cruz, Amanda Frisbie, Danielle Foxhoven and Keelin Winters.
UTSA has been struck in place for the most part since, but broke through this year.
“Coming into UTSA and just seeing the change from my first year to now, I’m just so grateful I was able to be a part of that and help rebuild the program,” said senior defender Kendall Kloza, a LEE High School graduate who play one season at Virginia Commonwealth University before transferring back home.
A crucial aspect to the Roadrunners’ success this season has been how they’ve performed when games hung in the balance. The Roadrunners have won five straight one-goal games, including two in overtime. They nipped No. 3 seed Alabama-Birmingham 1-0 in overtime in the quarterfinals; No. 2 seed North Texas 2-1 in the semifinals and No. 5 seed Florida Atlantic 3-2 in overtime at the C-USA tournament.
“It’s even more exciting to see that we are a team that’s going to compete for 90 minutes,” said Hernandez, a sixth-year senior defender. “Looking back to my freshman year, and going through all the struggles to get to this point, going through injury — COVID didn’t make anything easier — and seeing that all the time and effort and blood, sweat and tears kind of culminated into a conference championship, that’s something I’ve been working for since I’ve gotten here.”
Fray has had a similar against-the-odds path. The summer before her senior year in high school in 2018, Fray tore her right ACL and meniscus at the U.S. youth regional championships in North Carolina. As a freshman at Central Florida in 2019, she tore her right meniscus. Fray transferred to UTSA in 2020 and tore her left ACL and meniscus that November. During the spring of 2021, she tore left meniscus a second time.
“I’ve talked to so many people that have helped me get through all of the mental blocks that I’ve had in my head that comes with all the struggles and injuries and sitting out,” said Fray, whose father played for the Jamaican national team, mother competed in the U.S. Olympic Development Program, and grandmother, Charlotte Moran, was inducted into the U.S. Youth Soccer Hall of Fame in 2013 for decades of advocating for girls and women’s soccer.
“I’m finally turning back into the person I once was playing back in high school and back in club. My teammates can finally see it, and that’s putting me in a better leadership role, so I’m a lot more confident in myself.”
Fray’s teammates saw her potential a week ago in the C-USA finale, when she scored two of her five goals this season.
“She’s an awesome player,” UTSA defender Sarina Russ said of Fray. “She has brought a lot to this team. Even when she was injured, she was always someone who would cheer everyone else on. She’s really put in the word to get through those (knee injuries). She’s a very, very strong player and person.”
Twitter: @sa_terrence1
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