A lot of boys and girls in Gilroy play soccer. The best compete in high school at Gilroy and Christopher. A few play in college.
Mustang alumnus Joshua Moya, an athletic goalkeeper, has succeeded at every level and just became the second-ever Gilroy player to compete in professional soccer.
Moya’s journey to the pro ranks includes being the backbone of one of college soccer’s all-time greatest upsets. On Oct. 21, 2024, he was the keeper as a struggling University of the Pacific team, with a 2-6-3 record, stunned national No. 2 Stanford in a 1-1 tie. UOP scored at 38:32 and SU got the equalizer at 69:49.
In that contest, Stanford outshot UOP 30-2 and Moya made 11 saves. A huge part of the onslaught included holding firm while playing the final 32-plus minutes down a man due to a red card.
The second half onslaught featured 20 Stanford shots to just one for UOP. In that period, Stanford had eight corner kicks to one for UOP. Moya and his teammates held the fort.
Additionally, a red-card ejection at 68:06 left the Tigers a man short. Moya had eight of his 11 saves in the furious and frantic second half.
“It was an amazing and crazy night,” Moya said. “The guys battled and gave it their all for 90 minutes. And even more when we went down one guy… We did everything in our power to compete and battle.
“Stanford was ranked No. 2 in the nation at this point and all we wanted as a team was to compete and do something most teams couldn’t do and that was to get a result at Stanford.”
That talented Stanford team later reached the third round of the NCAA playoffs, falling only to No. 1 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, in a penalty kick shootout.
“Individually, it was a great night as I had 11 saves,” Moya said. “My thoughts throughout the game were just, ‘Make all the saves I need to make and keep our team alive,’ as I knew if we’re to get a result here it would be because of me. One of the best performances in my collegiate career.”
Moya is now in the pros. In late May, he signed a contract with the Sacramento Republic FC of the USL Championship—the United States’ second tier of pro soccer. That league is one level below Major League Soccer, with stars as elite as Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi.
“Josh is a quality goalkeeper who has already been training with the group and knows our environment well,” said Sacramento Republic FC Head Coach Neill Collins.
After a month with Sacramento, Moya shifted in July over to the Las Vegas Lights FC franchise in the same league.
“I signed my first ever pro contract with the Sacramento Republic in the USL Championship,” Moya said. “Bradley Johnson (Sacramento’s goalkeeper coach) said to keep coming out and keep the level high for us. There might be an injury to another goalkeeper.
“They gave me a 25-day pro contract. Then I moved to the Las Vegas team in the same league. It’s been going well. I concentrate on working hard and waiting for my opportunity.”
Moya’s father and two older brothers played soccer and Joshua Moya followed. He initially played in the Gilroy Recreation League, competed in Morgan Hill with the Orchard Valley Toros and later with the prominent De Anza Force.
“I was a goalie the whole time,” Joshua Moya said. “My dad was a goalie and my oldest brother was a goalie. I had a knack and instinct for playing goalie. It’s just fun. Everything about making a save. And the preparation and training.”
His father, Wilfredo, played soccer, mother Bianca is a runner, and both older brothers, Randy and Andy, played soccer at Gilroy High. Both won Central Coast Section titles with the Mustangs.
Joshua credited Randy for helping and coaching him. Due to the conflicts of club and school soccer, Joshua did not play extensively for Gilroy High but he thanked Mustangs coach Armando Padilla for helping him.
“Playing at Gilroy was one of the best experiences I ever had,” Joshua Moya said. “Playing with my friends.”
Moya played both club and high school soccer, then starred in college.
At Folsom Lake College in 2021 as a freshman, Moya started 17 of the team’s 18 games. He made 59 saves while playing 1,530 minutes. Folsom Lake was 11-2-5 and Moya recorded seven shutouts. He was named to the All-Big 8 Conference First Team.
At UOP in the West Coast Conference, he played nearly every game and every minute for two years and received All-WCC Honorable Mention recognition. Moya started 14 games in 2023 and all of UOP’s 16 games in 2024, on the pitch for every minute in his senior year.
He is in UOP’s all-time top five for lowest goals-against average (1.56), save percentage (74.2%), total saves (132) and games played (30).
“I loved it at UOP,” Moya said. “Some of my best friends are there. I couldn’t think of a better school.”
Awards included WCC Defensive Player of the Week and all-WCC Honorable Mention. Acclaim was extensive.
“Josh was a big part of our win to open the season,” UOP coach Adam Reeves said, after a 2024 shutout of UC Davis with 10 saves by Moya. “One save in particular midway through the second half allowed us to keep the lead. We are so proud of Josh and his accomplishments. He’s a self-made starter. Since day one, he has maximized his opportunity and earned everything.”
Moya has now put his name in local annals, with his elevation into the USL. The other Gilroy soccer player to reach the pros was Alfonso Motagalvan, a midfielder. Motagalvan played at Gilroy High and UC Santa Barbara, winning the 2006 national title with UCSB. Later he played in the USL and MLS.
“I was born and raised in Gilroy,” Moya said. “It is rare to make it to NCAA D1 and very few kids from Gilroy make it to the pros.”
Now it’s Moya’s time to blaze new trails, while inspiring local boys and girls.
