Gabriella Cuevas began her collegiate soccer career as a freshman at the University of Connecticut in the fall of 2011. The Wayne, NJ, product played her way into the Huskies' starting 11 for their opening match against Northeastern on August 19, 2011, before the first injury happened.
Six minutes into the game, a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee sidelined the three-time New Jersey All-State defender for the remainder of the season.
Fast forward to the start of 2012, exactly one year later, Cuevas again found herself in UConn's starting lineup for its first match against Vermont. Déjà Vu. Another torn ACL in her left knee erased another season in the blink of an eye.
The 2013 season saw Cuevas return to the field where she led the Huskies' field players in minutes played despite her body not being at its peak physically.
Cuevas returned as a starter for her fourth year in Storrs, CT, but once again her third ACL injury cut her season short after four games.
Another grueling offseason of rehab allowed Cuevas to return to the field for her fifth, and final, year at UConn as she completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology, Human Development and Family Studies and helped the Huskies advance to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 playing in a central midfield role.
At the conclusion of the Huskies' run, Cuevas began to explore her options to continue her soccer career as she was eligible to compete for a sixth and potential seventh season pending approval from the NCAA.
“I always looked at it like I was cheated,” Cuevas said of her decision to continue playing despite undergoing three ACL surgeries. “I didn't get my four years and I wanted that opportunity. My dream when I was little was to play college soccer and make an impact on a team. I think sitting out made me want to come back even more.”
A few different factors came into play when she began to look for her next school, including her academic opportunities to earn a Master's Degree in Social Work, being a reasonable distance from her family, and a coaching staff that believed in Cuevas despite her injury history.
Monmouth checked all of those boxes. Plus, it didn't hurt that head coach
Krissy Turner had coached Cuevas as a U-16 youth player as part of the New Jersey Olympic Development Program.
“When I reached out to Coach Turner, she was so welcoming and willing to meet with me to discuss continuing my career at Monmouth,” Cuevas said. “I am so glad it worked out.”
“She's a player who just loves the game,” Turner added. “She had a lot of success as a youth player and in coaching her, I had the chance to get to know her and her family a little bit and they are just an all-around terrific family.”
It has worked out, in that Cuevas is one of a handful of Monmouth players to start in every match this season. She began the season at the holding midfield spot and scored in Monmouth's season opener against Bucknell, before sliding back into her current position at center back. She has helped anchor a Hawks defense that has been responsible for 11 shutouts and the MAAC Regular Season Championship.
“Holding midfield and center back are fairly interchangeable,” Turner continued. “She's a great ball winner and loves to keep possession of the ball.”
“I think this is one of the most organized back lines I have played on,” Cuevas' center back partner
Allie Girardi said. “Gab is experienced and having an older presence in the back definitely makes a difference. It also helps that she can play multiple positions. She organizes very well and her view of the game helps us in a lot of situations.”
Cuevas' success has come while balancing practice, games, graduate school classes, an internship and a part-time hostess job. Her schedule is so hectic during the week that attending class straight from the practice field is a regular event.
“On Tuesdays and Fridays, I go straight from practice to class at 8:25, I usually have to bring a change of clothes because I am sweaty, and also pack a lunch because I have class until three. Practice begins at 7:30 during the week, so on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays I leave practice by 8:30, shower quickly, eat a bar and do my makeup in the car in order to get to Red Bank on time for my internship.”
Cuevas is interning at Red Bank Regional High School at a non-profit organization called The SOURCE, which is a center designed to help young people in a number of different areas including counseling and tutoring.
“Any student can come in to talk about anything they want,” Cuevas said. “We are there to help them through whatever issues they may be dealing with. We do an assessment to see if they need more intensive help or if they need additional resources. It's a great program that every school should have and I really enjoy working there.”
It was at her internship where Cuevas recently learned her request for a seventh year of eligibility was approved by the American Athletic Conference and the NCAA, which will allow her to return to the Hawks in 2017.
“I was in my cubicle freaking out and I texted everyone the good news that I would be back playing at Monmouth next year,” Cuevas said with a smile.
Knowing her future is settled, Cuevas' attention is focused solely on the Hawks' 2016 goals.
“Being with another team for the last five years and going to the Sweet 16, I can see that our team has so much potential. We train like we are the number one team in the country, we have expectations that are so great and I think we can accomplish them. Everyone needs to be on the same page and if we all want it, combined with our talent, I think we can go to the NCAA Tournament and compete with the best of the best.”
