Soccer has always been a huge part of San Jose State University women’s sophomore forward Natasha Harris’ life. She started playing in the American Youth Soccer Organization at 3 years old.
Harris grew up in Mountain View and committed to the Spartans early, during her sophomore year of high school.
“I really liked the family atmosphere and the coaches. They made it really easy to adjust and they made me feel comfortable,” Harris said.
Harris shared that her favorite part of playing with the Spartans is the family aspect.
She said her teammates bring her up when she’s down, and she does the same for them.
“I just know they have my back for everything,” Harris said.
Head coach Lauren Hanson credits the 5-foot-1-inch Harris as one of the key players in the team’s success.
“We’ve set a lot of records with shutouts and she’s been an integral part of that. She’s a fantastic defender and really plays very hard and aggressive for her size,” Hanson said.
Harris and teammate, freshman defender Hannah Mathews, have known each othersince high school.
Mathews said the two played against each other on rival teams, Mountain View and Santa Clara.
Harris assisted Mathews on her game-winning goal against UC Davis on Sept. 9.
“I was just in a daze when it happened . . . I was like ‘what’s going on?’ I actually just ran around [afterward],” Mathews said. “I didn’t even go up to [Harris], which I felt really bad about. After the game, she was like ‘Hannah!’ and I was like, ‘Oh my God! Natasha, that was such a good ball!’”
Mathews said previously knowing Harris has been helpful to her adjustment to the team.
Harris said the moment Mathews scored was a key moment for the team early on in the season.
“That win made us realize our potential and that when we really try, we can work hard and win,” Harris said.
When asked how she feels about having the third-most playing time, Harris laughed because she was unaware of the stat.
Harris currently has 1,703 minutes of playing time just behind junior defender Kristen Amarikwa who leads the team with 1,733 minutes.
“It feels really good to know that my coaches think of me as someone who’s consistent and can play for that amount of time,” she said.
Harris said she looks up to junior midfielder Gabriela Herrera the most.
“She is [the team’s] constant energy. No matter how much she’s playing or where she is, she’s always that light at the end of the tunnel,” Harris said.
As the Spartans near the end of their season, Harris said she’s looking forward to the Mountain West Women’s Soccer Tournament, which will be played at SJSU’s Soccer Complex at south campus.
“Some games haven’t [had] the results that we’ve wanted, but I’m hoping that we can bring it all together for the tournament and [for] the next few years since it’s such a young team . . . [hopefully] we’ll just keep growing,” Harris said.
The Spartans’ earned the No. 4 seed with a conference record of 6-2-3.
SJSU defeated Fresno State in the first round Tuesday night 2-1 in the first round of the Mountain West Conference tournament.
