by Kelly Brocklehurst
Daily Lobo
Kristen Winters' soccer career could have ended when she was a senior in high school.
Winters, a senior goalkeeper on the UNM women's soccer team, broke her leg in July 2000 while playing in the Snickers U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships semifinals.
"When I was playing in nationals with my club team my senior year, a girl came in and slide-tackled me and it just kind of snapped," Winters said. "I had emergency surgery that day. They put a rod in my leg. It didn't heal, so I had another surgery. The doctors actually told me I'd never play again."
Winters missed the 2000 season and played in only one game during the 2001 season at UNM.
Winters was granted an extra year of eligibility in spring 2005 by the NCAA.
She made a strong comeback in 2002 as the team's starting goalkeeper. She was first in the Mountain West Conference with 10 shutouts and second in the conference with 99 saves.
"After I recovered, I knew I wanted to play again," Winters said. "I felt like I really had the heart to want to keep playing."
Playing soccer again wasn't easy though.
"It was difficult because of all the big pains that made it so I couldn't really do anything," she said. "At first, when I started diving, after a couple of dives, my whole leg would go numb. It made it really difficult to start doing things."
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Despite the difficulties during the comeback, Winters pushed through them.
During 2002, she was named the MWC Player of the Week in October, all-MWC first team, MWC Goalkeeper of the Year and All-Tournament Goalkeeper at the MWC Tournament. She was also an Academic all-MWC honoree.
Head coach Kit Vela said Winters is a team player who has few weaknesses.
"She's an outstanding goalkeeper," Vela said.
Winters continued to accumulate awards during her sophomore and junior seasons. She took third in saves and goals against average and was fifth in shutouts during her sophomore year. During the 2004 season, Winters became the all-time leader for wins, with 20, and with 17 shutouts, she broke the all-time UNM record.
She was also an Academic all-MWC honoree and an MWC Scholar Athlete.
Vela said Winters improved as a player through experience.
"She's become a better keeper," she said. "Experience gives you lessons that training sessions can't give you."
Winters has also proved herself as a leader as one of this season's four team captains.
Vela said Winters was chosen to be a captain because of her leadership skills. She said Winters has a knack for getting along with all of her teammates.
"They (the players) want her to be captain," Vela said. "It's a coaches' pick, but it's also a players' pick."
Since recovering from her injury, Winters said she has become a more aggressive player and she has gained more confidence in herself and her abilities. It also taught Winters a valuable lesson.
"I've learned not to take anything for granted and treat each game or day as if it might be your last, because you never know," she said.
