July 9, 2018
By Megan Golden
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Former University of Notre Dame women’s soccer defender Monica Flores has signed a two-year deal to play professionally for Valencia CF.
“It is humbling, for sure,” Flores said. “One of my goals after college soccer was to play professionally, and now I have the opportunity to do so.
“My preparation for this moment has been in progress for some time, and the real next chapter happens when I set foot on the field with my new teammates and coaching staff. Now, it’s time to give my everything to this club and honor their trust they gave me in the recruiting process.”
In her final season wearing an Irish uniform, the Livingston, New Jersey, native and Irish team captain tallied seven points on one goal with five assists.
In 2016, Flores started 14 games for the Irish, missing the final month of the season to compete with Mexico at the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Flores was called up to compete with the full Mexico Women’s National Team in parts of three years (2016-18).
“My time at Notre Dame led me right up to this point,” Flores said. “When I could announce my signing to the public, I messaged my teammates right away and actually thanked them for helping me get to this point in my career. After telling them I signed with Valencia, word-for-word, I told them: ‘I want to let you guys know because you helped mold me into the person and player I am now, and I know I wouldn’t have this opportunity without the help and belief and support from you guys.’
“That’s so true. Notre Dame women’s soccer helped me learn to conquer obstacles, challenged me to grow in different ways and also exposed me and gave me the opportunity to play against the top female soccer players in the country.”
The Irish kick off their season against Michigan at 4:30 p.m. ET on August 8 at Alumni Stadium. To view the entire schedule, click here. For more on the Irish women’s soccer program, follow @NDSoccer on Twitter.
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Megan Golden, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since August of 2016. In her role, she coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame baseball and women’s soccer programs. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Golden is a 2014 graduate of Saint Mary’s College and former Irish women’s basketball manager. Prior to arriving at Notre Dame, she worked in public relations with the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.