The final whistle had been blown many moments prior, the crowd had cleared and the lights were about to be shut off.

But UCLA women’s soccer senior forward Sunshine Fontes remained on the field, marker in hand, signing shoes, T-shirts and other UCLA paraphernalia handed to her by a line full of young kids.

Fontes remembers being on the other side of those interactions when she was younger, waiting eagerly for an autograph as players on the Hawai’i women’s soccer team left the pitch.

“It’s kind of my way of giving back,” Fontes said.

That night – after the Bruins’ Oct. 6 victory over Arizona State – is just one example of the fanbase and national acclaim that Fontes has acquired thus far in her senior campaign. She is currently tied with with junior forward Reilyn Turner for the title of the Bruins’ leading scorer with nine total goals, including two game-winners through 15 contests this season.

“Up until this year, anyone within our program knew how special she was and what she was capable of,” said coach Margueritte Aozasa. “I’m just really happy for her now that she’s gaining that recognition on a national stage.”

However, Fontes’ road to success has not always been this bright. When she first started playing soccer at age four, the sport wasn’t even enjoyable.

“I didn’t like playing,” Fontes said. “I didn’t like going to practice. And then I guess over the years, it just grew on me.”

But 17 years later, Fontes stands as one of the leading scorers for the top-ranked women’s soccer program in the country.

Fontes said she became aware of her talents over time and that soccer eventually turned into a passion.

“My parents decided to put me into a club that was more serious,” Fontes said. “That’s when I started to take it more seriously because I knew that they were paying, they were making sacrifices. It was my job to return that to them and kind of give back in that way.”

Throughout her high school career, Fontes gained national recognition, collecting two Gatorade Hawaii Girls Soccer Player of the Year awards in the 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 seasons. In the latter award year, the forward tallied 24 goals to earn the No. 5 ranking in the 2019 recruiting class, a position that eventually landed her a spot in Westwood.

But she wouldn’t stop with the accomplishments there.

Fontes not only collected acknowledgment locally but made history on an international scale when she competed for the U.S. U-17 National Team in 2017 as the first-ever youth national team player from Hawaii.

During the 2018 CONCACAF U-17 Championship tournament, Fontes scored five goals, two of which were netted in the semifinals to punch Team USA’s ticket to the World Cup Championship game.

Fontes noted the honor is one she didn’t take lightly and is proud to see the success that players from Hawaii have had since then.

“It just means a lot to me,” Fontes said. “In a way, I kind of feel like I’m paving the way or paving the path for certain players in Hawaii that want to be on that same journey.”

After her international success, Fontes finished her senior season in Hawaii. However, the forward’s high school career didn’t end on her own terms, as she injured her ACL toward the tail end of her senior year.

Fontes said despite the challenges of the injury, she enjoyed the freedom it gave her to spend time with her family prior to leaving for UCLA.

“I didn’t really know life without soccer because it became everything,” Fontes said. “It was hard for me at first just having to be away from the game, but I think it helped me realize that life is so much more than soccer.”

When Fontes first committed to a collegiate soccer team, it was not the Bruins that she selected but the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors. Fontes said she ultimately switched to UCLA because of a change in her future outlook.

“If I wanted to achieve my goals of going to play professionally, I thought that this was the best way to do so,” Fontes said.

After redshirting her freshman year with UCLA while still recovering from injury, Fontes began donning the blue and gold on the field in her sophomore season. She put five goals to her name that year but came up empty-handed her junior year. Once one of the top talents of the country, Fontes had failed to find footing in UCLA’s offense.

But in her fourth year in Westwood, Fontes’ flair has come to fruition. The forward has nearly doubled her previous career goal total 15 games into the season.

Turner acknowledged the important offensive force Fontes is on the team this season.

“This year especially, she’s really been able to show what she has to offer,” Turner said. “I know in the past she hasn’t been getting that opportunity, so I think that this year for her is really important. She’s shown time and time again what she’s capable of this season.”

Fontes credited an increase in confidence and the introduction of UCLA’s new coaching staff, led by first-year head coach Aozasa, as the reasons for her increase in scoring production.

“With this new staff, we’re just able to play freely,” Fontes said. “It’s taken a lot of work behind the scenes, but this new staff has kind of just come in and changed the whole dynamic of this team.”

Aozasa said Fontes’ improvement was a result of hard work and devotion to the game.

“She kind of in some way fell back in love with the game a little bit,” Aozasa said.

The same girl who once rejected the sport entirely now finds herself leading the No. 1 team in the nation, all while giving back to the young fans who hope to be just like her one day.