Following the completion of the 2021 season, the Mighty Lizards have announced the recipients of this year's Gonzalo Lopez Memorial Scholarship. Luis Chavez and Yalison Espinosa, both members of the inaugural 2019 squads, have been selected as this year's honorees. 

Chavez, who also received the honor in 2020, joined the Mighty Lizards in Fall 2019. Studying athletic training, he plans to graduate from TMCC this coming spring, and transfer to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas or Utah Valley University. He's been a tremendous representative of the program in the past year, captaining the men's squad to its first playoff appearance in the Spring and showing impressive leadership behind the scenes since the start of the Fall Semester. 

"To have received this honor again is tremendous," said Chavez. "Being awarded a scholarship named for someone I was close with is not like anything else. It is truly special to me." 

Espinosa also joined TMCC in 2019, playing under Lopez as a member of the inaugural Women's team. Like Chavez, she also plans to graduate this coming spring and transfer to the University of Nevada, Reno and pursue a bachelors in Biology. A captain for the women's team, she set a great example for her teammates to follow in 2021, a major contributing factor to the Women's successful season. 

"To have played under Gonzalo is something I am very grateful for," she said. "This is a huge honor, but also a reminder of the importance of being a leader and helping my teammates."

First awarded in Fall 2020, the Gonzalo Lopez Memorial Scholarship recognizes one returning player from Men's and Women's Soccer who best exemplify the leadership and goodwill of late assistant soccer coach Gonzalo Lopez, who passed away in April 2020 due to complications from COVID-19. Lopez had joined TMCC for the inaugural season in 2019 following a storied coaching career at many levels of youth soccer in Northern Nevada, and made an instant impact on and off the field as coach, teacher and mentor on the student-athletes of TMCC after joining the college. 

If you are interested in contributing to the 2022 Gonzalo Lopez Memorial Scholarship, check out the Mighty Lizard Club.