MORGANTOWN — Sergio Ors Navarro just may have been born to play soccer, at least that’s what his father tells him whenever the family photo album is broken out back home in Castellon, Spain.
“There’s all kinds of pictures of me as a two-year old with a soccer ball in my hands,” the WVU midfielder said Tuesday night, after the fifth-ranked Mountaineers tied with UNC Greensboro 2-2 at Dick Dlesk Stadium. “I’ve never really wanted to try anything else.”
It was that passion for the game that first led Ors Navarro to WVU, as part of Dan Stratford’s first recruiting class five years ago.
It was Ors Navarro’s first time in the United States. His English was a work in progress back then — “My teammates kept telling me I knew enough to get by,” he said. — and his game was a work in progress, too.
“I hope Sergio feels like he’s a reflection of me and of all the players who have played before him who learned along the way what it means to play for West Virginia,” Stratford said. “It shows in the way he approaches the game, how much it means to him now and how much value he puts on his (playing ) time.
“It’s part of the journey I really enjoy as a coach is watching the players go through that process of falling in love with the state, the university, the program and then the opportunity you have as a result of it.”
Ors Navarro’s results this season have been exceptional, which is the back end of his story.
He scored on a penalty kick in the 23rd minute of the first half Tuesday for his eighth goal of the season. That ties him with Wisconsin’s Dean Boltz and Missouri State’s Jesus Barea for the nation’s lead.
True, it’s still early in the season — WVU (4-0-2) won’t play its first Sun Belt Conference game until Saturday at Old Dominion — but anytime you can say you’re the nation’s leading goal scorer, that’s not a bad thing.
“That means a lot to me, because, my confidence goes up a lot,” Ors Navarro said. “It’s a reflection of my teammates on the field. My first three years, I think I only had three goals. Now, I have eight already. That’s good, but I’m more grateful for my teammates helping me to get to this position.”
It was actually four goals over Ors Navarro’s first three seasons, which is where his journey in college soccer begins.
His playing time was scarce for three years. The kid who was born to play soccer simply wasn’t playing all that much.
“It’s always frustrating when you’re not playing,” Ors Navarro said. “I knew there were seniors and juniors in front of me who had been in the program longer.
“I kind of knew I had to take a secondary position on the team and keep developing and keep working and be ready to take advantage whenever I could.”
Yet he continued to stick it out and remained in Morgantown. Ors Navarro credits that to his relationship with the WVU coaching staff and the love he built for the state and the school.
“I absolutely love it here. I love West Virginia,” he said. “My coaches have made me improve off the field and, of course, in the field. I didn’t get a lot of minutes my first two years, but they coached me so well I felt I was still getting better as a player.”
By the time the Mountaineers were ready to compete for a national championship last season — WVU eventually saw its magical run end in the national semifinals — Ors Navarro had earned his role as a key starter.
“I think a lot of people maybe overlook at just how good he was last year,” Stratford said. “His stats and his numbers last year were exceptional, as well.
“He’s got off to a great start, but I’m sure he’s hungry for more.”
Ors Navarro’s eight goals this season already matches his output from last season, and he did that with 11 games, then a conference tournament and possibly an NCAA tournament yet to play.
That’s how far the kid from Spain has come in his collegiate journey, one that went from barely playing to contending for the national lead in goals scored.
“There’s not one part of me that’s surprised that he’s found himself at the right place at the right time,” Stratford said. “I think his uptake is a collection of incredible hard work over a long period of time, but also a grown investment in what this is.”
