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When Kevin Diaz arrived on the Cerritos College campus in 2017, there were high hopes for the men's soccer program, as he was considered to be one of the more gifted players to join the team. But right before the start of the season, Diaz suffered an injury that would force him to miss the entire year. Where some people might think that their playing career would be over, or, at the very least, their skill would be diminished, Diaz was on a mission to come back better than when he got to the campus.

In his two seasons, Diaz played 50 games for the Falcons and scored 38 goals, while assisting on 29 others, which earned him a myriad of awards. In both seasons, he earned United Soccer Coaches 2nd Team All-American, 1st Team All-West Region, South Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year and 1st Team All-South Coast Conference honors. With many school looking to add Diaz to their program, the forward chose to transfer to UCLA.

"Kevin is not going to UCLA for the ride or to sit," said head coach Benny Artiaga. "I am 100 percent confident Kevin is going to UCLA to score important goals and get quality minutes starting this season. Kevin going to UCLA is important, not just for him but for me, too. When I was hired, I was asked what I hoped to accomplish as a coach and the first things to come out of my mouth were: I want to win a state title and national championship; I want to transfer over 100 kids to universities on scholarship; and, having just watched (UCLA play UC Santa Barbara that year) I said and I want to send kids to UC Santa Barbara and UCLA. Despite that seeming like the easiest of all those accomplishments at the time, little did I know the last of all those accomplishments would come with Kevin signing at UCLA."

"Opportunities like this (signing with UCLA) don't come around often and I have always wanted to attend a prestigious school like UCLA," said Diaz, who will major in Economics. "I feel like UCLA is the school that can prepare me the best for the next level. And most importantly I love the philosophy the coaching staff has instituted as the team's foundation. Walking down the center of the campus and just taking it all in is amazing. I was also able to visit Cal State Northridge and their campus is amazing, as well. But something about UCLA just grabbed me by the collar and I was determined to attend."

In his freshman season, Diaz (pictured, left) helped lead the Falcons to their fourth CCCAA State Championship in school history. But, more importantly, the team was named the National Champion, an honor that had eluded them in their three previous championship years, as they concluded the seasons ranked #2 in the country. In the post-season that year, Diaz recorded three goals and three assists, which included assisting on the game-tying goal against Golden West College, en route to the team's 2-1 win.

Missing his first opportunity to play for Cerritos was devastating for Diaz. But he was determined to rehab the best way possible and give the coaching staff and his teammates what he had intended to in 2017.

"The biggest motivation for me (to come back in 2018) would have to be my second opportunity for life after getting in a car accident in 2017 where I had to be airlifted to the hospital," stated Diaz. "The friends, coaches, and family that imbedded themselves as my backbone really drove me to develop into the best version of me. I am incredibly grateful for the people I have in my life."

"Winning a National Championship my freshman year was huge," added Diaz. "Especially since the year before the team had lost in the semifinals. I felt like I had a mission to win for the team that I worked so hard the year before. Collectively, as a team, the most memorable moment was winning the team's very first National Championship. Seeing everyone so happy after the blood, tears, and work we all put in has to be the best feeling. My own most memorable moment comes in the State Semifinals against City College of San Francisco, when I received a pass a few yards out the 18-yard box and placed a finessed shot into the top left corner to put the team up 2-0. That was one of the best goals in my two years at Cerritos."

Diaz had many goals during his two seasons in a Falcons uniform. He scored a pair of hat tricks in his freshman year and added another one his sophomore season. In his second season, Diaz led the team in goals (18) and assists (13), which ranked him fourth in the state in both categories. His 49 points on the year ranked him third in the state. Diaz scored goals in six of the final eight games of the season, which accounted for seven of his goals and scored goals in 13 of the team's 25 games. He posted a hat trick against Cuyamaca College and had a pair of goals in three other games. Diaz posted points in 17 games on the year, which included an eight-game point streak.

"Kevin improved tremendously over three years," stated Artiaga. "He's always been talented, but his ability to lead and his maturity are the areas where he's grown the most. His finishing is one specific skill he mastered while at Cerritos. "Kevin more than lived up to our expectations. We always knew he'd be special. But the amount of big moments he stepped up to make made him great. That's what impressed the coaching staff the most. Kevin's desire to be great separates him from most players."

Aside from the state and national championship, Diaz stated that he takes great pride in the fact that the team went unbeaten on their home field (22-0-3) in his two seasons. Because of their success in the regular season, the Falcons hosted all three rounds of Southern California Regional Playoff games in both of his seasons, which enabled them to advance to the CCCAA State Championships.

"I take this accomplishment (unbeaten at home) with immense pride because it's not easy to keep good opponents winless,' said Diaz. "Especially in our second season, coming back as defending National Champions. What kept us superior at home would have to be our way to efficiently use the width of our field since it is much bigger than most of our opponents fields."

The width of the field enabled Diaz and his teammates to use their speed both up the middle and on the outside to give them more scoring opportunities. Although he's listed at 160 pounds, Diaz plays like a much bigger player and has been know to shake defenders off with his strength when his speed was matched. That type of skillset is what the coaches at UCLA found most appealing and will use to implement in the next two years. The Bruins will be looking to improve on their 6-9-3 record last season and hope to pair Diaz with returning All-American Milan Iloski, who led them with 17 goals last year.

Diaz signing with UCLA was a little tough for Artiaga to swallow on a personal level. Artiaga earned his Bachelors degree from USC, and is a devout Trojan fan, so a little light-hearted jabbing was included.

"Kevin going to UCLA is crazy. I kinda despise that school, as a Trojan myself," laughed Artiaga. "But, like I tell my son - who claims he's going to UCLA - unless USC brings back their Division I team, and you want to be a Bruin, I will be a Bruin during your time there. My heart is Cardinal and Gold, but for Kevin's two years at UCLA, I will cheer for UCLA, as well."

"I feel like I am a very cerebral player on the soccer field," said Diaz. "I know how and where to position myself for the best goal scoring opportunities, as well as being the one to set up others players. I'd say I'm one of the most versatile players and can help UCLA in anyway they need me."