MUSKEGON – Athletes get older and more important things come into their lives, like careers, spouses, children – and in Aldony Mendez’ case, also a beloved dog.
So their sports sometimes have to take a back seat, to one degree or another.
That’s been the situation for Mendez, a longtime Muskegon Risers standout who has been with the club since 2017, as part of the indoor winter team and the outdoor summer squad.
With a young family and an important job as an advocate for struggling students at Grand Rapids Public Schools, he has not been able to play as much for the indoor Risers this season, particularly road games.
But Saturday night’s home playoff showdown against the Chicago Mustangs is a must-game for Mendez, because it’s the first playoff game in Risers franchise history and he wouldn’t dream of missing it.
[1]“I am super excited,” said Mendez, 29, who has always been a talented goal scorer. “I am really looking forward to it. Making the playoffs was the goal at the beginning of the season.
“I’ve been playing with the Risers for five or six years now, and we’ve never been to the playoffs. This is our first time, and you never know when it might happen again, so I’m going to enjoy it.”
Mendez was born in Guatamala and moved to Grand Rapids with his family when he was 14.
He was an All-State soccer player at Grand Rapids Northview High School and led the Pioneers to a state championship in his senior season in 2011.
Mendez went on to play college soccer at Aquinas, then spent a little time with a few semipro teams in Guatamala and Grand Rapids.
[2]Then he heard about the Risers from a former teammate, joined the team in 2017, and he’s been happily playing for Muskegon fans ever since.
He even brought along his younger brother, Alexis Mendez, who is also still with the Risers.
“Ryan Wagenmaker and I were friends at Aquinas, I saw he was playing for Muskegon, so I reached out to him and asked if they would give me a chance,” Mendez said. “It has been a great experience – my teammates, coaches, the atmosphere there – everything works well for me.”
The years passed, Mendez met and married his wife Haley, and three years ago they welcomed their daughter Avianna.
They are currently expecting their second child – Mendez said he wants a boy while Haley would like another girl – and they also have their beloved dog, Leo, who Mendez made a point of mentioning when listing his family members.
Avianna will be playing youth soccer for the first time in two weeks, and the family was out shopping for her first pair of soccer shoes when Mendez spoke to MuskegonSports.com.
“She is really excited,” Mendez said about his little girl. “She goes to all of my games, and she’s looking forward to playing.”
[3]With all of that on his plate, Mendez had to cut back on his soccer activity, but not completely. He still plays for the Risers whenever he can, and he’s still very good whenever he takes the field.
He has only played in 6 of the Risers’ 12 games this season but is third in scoring on the team with 10 goals and 8 assists. He had his best game on Feb. 19, when he scored four goals in the Risers’ 15-7 home victory over Cincinnati.
Despite his limited action, he ranks high in several statistical categories in the Great Lakes Division of the Major Arena Soccer League 2. He is fourth in assists, second in points per game average (3), and second in game-winning goals (2).
Mendez’ presence on Saturday will be extra important, because the Risers are missing several talented goal scorers due to injuries, including leading scorer Miguel Flores.
“It’s a big loss for us, but we’re going to focus on the game,” Mendez said about Flores. “I think we have guys who are going to step up and play as a team, and I’m sure we are going to come out with a victory.”
[4]Mendez said he’s looking forward to having a big crowd at the game to pump up the Risers and give them the energy they need to pull off a win and qualify for the league semifinals.
“Every time we score, every time someone makes a good play, we hear them scream, and it makes it a lot of fun,” he said about the fans. “Obviously our fans are an extra player for the team.”
Risers Coach Ben Ritsema is definitely happy that Mendez will be in the lineup, because like Flores, every time he touches the ball something good can happen.
“He’s a really key player for us,” the coach said. “Miguel, Ryan Zietlow (who is out for the season with an injury) and Mendez are our top three goal scorers.
“He’s very solid, and he’s played at a high level for a very long time. He’s going to have to score some goals for us on Saturday, that’s for sure.”
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