When you look at the career statistics of senior Mauricia Nicholson, you might think that her collegiate stats are part of a long soccer career. You may believe that her soccer experiences stretch back to early childhood.
But Nicholson's soccer success does not have as long a timeline as some would believe.
Growing up on the small Caribbean island nation of Tobago, future soccer players usually begin playing when they are four or five-years-old. However, Nicholson started playing organized soccer when most people look forward to prom and driving.
"I did not play organized soccer until I was 16," said Nicholson. "Up until that time, I would kick the ball around in the back yard, but I was 16 when I first played on a big field."
Nicholson only played one year of soccer in high school since her first year of organized soccer coincided with the first year of the Bishop's High School soccer league. Even though Nicholson admits she was better in other sports, soccer was the best choice for her future.
"I played on the national team for field hockey and also played tennis and netball," said Nicholson. "After a while I realized that those sports could not get me a soccer scholarship. People were leaving the island with soccer scholarships."
Nicholson finished high school when she was 16, but in Tobago, students have the option of remaining in high school for two more years. Nicholson decided to stay in school, and this was when the Trinidad & Tobago U-19 National Team came calling. In less than a year, Nicholson not only started playing organized soccer, but she was now being offered a chance to play with some of Trinidad & Tobago's best female soccer players.
"Playing with the national team while I was in high school was tough," said Nicholson. "I had to go to Trinidad almost every weekend and live with my aunt. I missed a lot of school, and my parents had to pay for me to be on national team. It was not easy."
During her time with the Trinidad & Tobago National Team, Nicholson played against other Caribbean nations and participated in the 2002 Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football Gold Cup. The Gold Cup is the preeminent competition for women's national teams. Nicholson also fondly remembers one memorable game with the national team.
"We went to Jamaica and played at a field called Prison Oval," said Nicholson. "The field was next to a prison and the prisoners were watching from the windows and calling out the numbers of my teammates and myself. It was kind of scary."
While Nicholson was traveling around the Caribbean with the Trinidad & Tobago National Team, she still had aspirations of playing collegiate soccer. As it turned out, it was a friendship between the Trinadad & Tobago national coach Jamal Shabazz and West Florida head coach Joe Bartlinski that helped bring Nicholson to Pensacola.
"We had a great connection with the Trinidad & Tobago national team," said Bartlinski. "Even though I did not see Mauricia play in person, I knew the level of competition and the caliber of players on the team. Also, their national coach knew the type of players I was looking for and who would best succeed on the collegiate level."
"Coach Bart recruited me even though he never saw me play," said Nicholson. "Coach Bart came down to watch another player on our national team. The girl he originally recruited was set and ready to go, but she had not finished high school. I had finished high school, but I was going to attend another school. But my national team coach suggested that I attend West Florida."
Bartlinski had still not seen Nicholson play in person when she first arrived on the West Florida campus in August 2002.
"I came late in my first year," said Nicholson. "I did not practice my first day at West Florida, and I did not know anyone. I did not play until a few days into the preseason, but I still started the first game of the season."
Nicholson scored her first collegiate goal and added an assist in West Florida's season-opening 6-1 win at Lynn University. She went on to lead the Argonauts with 12 goals and finished second on the team with 28 points. Nicholson became the third Argonaut to earn Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year honors, and she was also named to the All-GSC Team. One of her memorable matches was in front of family
"I was playing at Barry in my second game of the 2002 season," said Nicholson. "I had about 20 relatives from Fort Lauderdale who all came to the game. They were sitting on the visitor's side, banging on the bleachers and making chants and singing. We lost the match, 1-0, but it was the first time my relatives saw me play."
Nicholson followed her outstanding freshman campaign with a 19-point sophomore season. After enduring the hurricane-shortened 2004 season, Nicholson was at the forefront of an explosive Argonaut offense in 2005. She set a school record while becoming the first Argonaut in women's soccer history to compile 40 points in a season. Nicholson earned both all-conference and all-region honors while helping lead West Florida to an appearance in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
"It was great to finally get past the first round of the national tournament since we had lost in the first round in my first two years," said Nicholson. "Once we got past the second round and advanced to the elite eight, we really believed we could win the whole thing. We were a tough team last year. People were willing to sacrifice and everybody worked together."
Heading into Sunday's match against West Georgia, Nicholson has totaled 16 points on six goals and four assists in her final West Florida season. In Tuesday's 5-0 win at Thomas, Nicholson became just the third women's soccer player to surpass the 100-point mark. She is excited about West Florida's prospects for the rest of the regular season and the postseason.
"We have a good starting lineup this year and good players coming off the bench," said Nicholson. "It took us a while to learn each others strengths and weaknesses, but we are getting better with every match and peaking at the right time."
"In the five years that I have coached Mauricia, she has pushed herself and worked hard to improve," said Bartlinski. "It has been a pleasure to work with her."
When her senior season ends and she graduates from West Florida with a degree in business administration, Nicholson plans to relocate to Fort Lauderdale.
"I will live with relatives and look for work and after a year I may go to graduate school," said Nicholson. "I doubt I will be playing soccer, but I might just kick the ball around."
Just like how it began for Nicholson in Tobago.