Story Corner

Every player has a journey. Every goal has a story.

Share yours and inspire the SABERS family!

Tales from the Pitch

Alex Tillberry

Sep 22, 2026

The Beautiful Game

I started playing soccer as soon as I started walking. I started off at the YMCA with my dad as an assistant coach. It was a way for me to just be around other kids and socialize. It then led me to love the game and start playing competitively. My mom is from Spain so that is where a lot of my passion for the beautiful game has come from. All of my soccer has been played here in Colorado. I started playing competitive soccer with Pikes Peak Rush. We won Colorado State Cup in 2012-2013 and got to go to Hawaii to play in the regional tournament. I played high school soccer at Palmer Ridge High School in Monument, CO. We made it to the 4a men's soccer final in 2012 for the first, and only, time in the school's history. We unfortunately lost that game due to it being played in a blizzard, which should have been rescheduled. I then went on to play soccer for Fort Lewis College. Just two years after winning the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2011 I joined the team in 2013. I got to share the pitch with some of the players that won the national title, and they were some of the most talented players I have ever had the privilege of playing with. I have played every position except for goalie, but I have primarily played defense majority of my career. I have played with the Sabers for a few seasons now and look forward to winning some trophies.

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Mark Mendoza

Sep 13, 2026

Giving back

Soccer has been part of my life since I was four years old. My very first team was called the Sabers, and my dad, Joe Mendoza, was the coach. At that age, I had no idea how important that name would become later in my life or how much soccer would shape who I am. The game has also tested me. When I was sixteen, I developed a serious infection in my right foot and came close to losing it. At the time, there was a real possibility that soccer could have been taken away from me completely. Thankfully, I recovered, got back on the field, and kept playing. That carried with me into college. For the first time, I was away from my family and friends, and I had to earn everything on my own. I was competing against some very talented players, and I earned a starting spot as a freshman. That was a big moment for me because it showed me that I could compete and that I had earned my place. When I joined the United States Army, soccer stayed with me everywhere I went. No matter where I was stationed or assigned, one of the first things I would do was find the local soccer community. That is where I always found my people. Soccer gave me a sense of home, even when I was far away from one. After leaving the military and coming back from Hawaii, my brother Isaiah and I decided to start our own men's team. In 2022, we brought back the Sabers name. It just felt right. It was the name of my first team, the team my dad coached when I was a kid, and now years later my dad is coaching Sabers again while I am still out there playing. For me, soccer has always been about community. It has been there for me through some of the biggest moments in my life, through difficult times, through the military, and through different stages of growing up. Now I want to give back to the soccer community that has been there for me all these years.

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Erick Zamora

Sep 13, 2026

Net Ninja

I’ve been playing soccer since I was 7, playing competitively made me fall in love with the sport. I was a young kid playing goalie with a broken arm and a purple cast. EVERY coach I’ve had said “in order to be a goalie you gotta be crazy or sick in the head.” I took it personal and became the craziest goalie out there. I was barking, doing push ups on the pitch and the loudest on the field. My little brother was a huge inspiration to me, he was talented, fast and skillful! This man could score bangers and juke the socks off anyone! If I could block his shots, I could stop anything is what our coach said. So we all know soccer is expensive, I couldn’t play competitively once I hit 8th grade. It was over for me, nope! I decided one day to fake being sick and go find a soccer program so I can play. Ran to a know local ice cream shop and asked to play soccer. Yes, the ice cream shop ran a soccer program for people like me and you. I wasn’t old enough, I had to be 16 to play, BUT I was back in it. I was training again with a team named chivas, they have a bigger and better program now in 2026. If you’re reading this, don’t stop, don’t give up and keep pushing! As a goalie, you gotta have quick reactions and just be a menace to save every shot you receive. One thing I struggled with the most is my hands. I was “butter fingers” I scored an own goal juggling a ball with my hands because I couldn’t grip it.. that’s why we train, to avoid these little mistakes.

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Isaiah Mendoza

Sep 11, 2026

My Futbol Journey

I grew up in a very competitive and soccer crazy family, so the love of the game was always in my blood since I was born. My brothers and I would spend hours and hours shooting the ball against a wall when we were younger eventually being able to shoot from further distances. Well, I learned early on that I was able to shoot from half field and not only was I able to keep it on target but also make it move so fast that most goal keepers around had a hard time keeping it out of the net. I was able to use this talent and skill to bring me to high levels of playing. While increasing my knowledge of spacing, my vision of player locations on the field, and foot skills on the ball to be able to get in and out of pressure from players around. I was able to play at the highest youth level available "Academy", and against teams like FC Dallas, New York Redbulls, Houston Dynamo etc. From there I was able to play in the 5ft Division of professional soccer even getting paid for travel and for playing appearances (though not very much LOL). After having an amazing family and too many injuries I decided to let go of the dream and focus on the next generation of FUTBOL players by creating this club with my family. GO SABERS!

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Guiliana Gines

Sep 11, 2026

Built To Come Back

I fell in love with soccer as a child growing up playing every position even goalkeeper! My most memorable save was in El Paso, Texas going into penalty shootouts. I had a sit out and saved every shot taken. A teammate who inspired me was a tri athlete and currently running for ucla, ee always went of runs and did extra trainings to reach maximum performance for season. I tore both my meniscuses my junior season, I was taken out an had to rehabilitate and learn to walk. I wasn’t able to go thru with college soccer becuase of my injury. & now play for fun/competivly with Saber FC! SabersFC is like a family because we do things outside of practice to make a true community, my funniest moment playing soccer was when I was running so fast and looking at the ball and ran strait into a back defenders butt. Knocking myself down.

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