Reinvented: Valeria Perales’ journey to Rider stardom

By Samantha Clark

For senior forward Valeria Perales, field hockey has never been just a sport. Carrying her from Madrid to the United States, as an inexperienced young recruit to a heavily decorated natural leader, field hockey has served as the flagship of her journey overseas, both on and off the green.

Crossing continents

Growing up in Madrid, Perales began playing field hockey at five years old at the Hocquet Club, with sports only being offered outside of school. 

Despite beginning her athletic career at a young age, becoming a long-term athlete was never in the picture until December 2019, when Rider field hockey gave her a spot on their roster in her sophomore year of high school.

“All three of us coaches were like, ‘we gotta get this kid, this kid is dynamic,’” Head Coach Gina Carey-Smith said.

In contrast to the experiences of many high school athletes who are faced with the challenges of choosing a college, Perales had her mind set on Rider from her first conversations with the coaching staff, with her loyalty to the Broncs never wavering. 

Perales arrived in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, on move-in day, which was her first time ever stepping foot on campus. 

With new people to meet and new places to see, Perales found comfort in the two former international seniors on the team, defender Kiki van Ommeren from Amsterdam and goalkeeper Kaitlyn Tomas from Ontario, Canada. 

In addition, Perales was joined by three former international Bronc freshmen who were experiencing that same level of newness: midfielder Indy Zoontjens from the Netherlands, defender Jess Rochat from South Africa and forward Berta Tutusaus from Spain, along with current senior forward Semra Said from Germany. 

The team eventually grew close enough to become each other’s second family. Whether it be growing close with their teammates’ families, or taking trips together over spring break, the girls 

quickly became “friends inside the field, but also outside of it,” Perales said. 

Accolades upon accolades 

As a member of the 2022 Northeastern Conference Tournament champion team, Perales emerged as a standout performer in her freshman year. In her first season as a Bronc, she started every game and led both her team and conference in goals and points per game.

“I’m really grateful for my freshman year and winning the NEC because I’ve realized how hard it is… playing at Division I has been a really big accomplishment,” Perales said.

Nationally, she ranked fourth in points and sixth in goals, earning Second-Team All–Mid-Atlantic Region honors. Perales also excelled academically, earning the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Scholar of Distinction award and a spot on their Academic Squad. 

Despite this ongoing list of honors and recognitions in her first year alone, Perales claimed to not be up to par with what was expected of her at the Division I level. 

“I was pretty inexperienced. I came here with no experience,” Perales said. “The team was always giving their best, and I feel like that is what made me a better player.”

In her next three years on the team, Perales went on to match her first-year performance and continued to shine on and off the field, as she earned First-Team All-NEC honors all four years, was named a three-time NEC Prime Performer, three-time NEC Offensive Player of the Week, NFHCA Division I Offensive Player of the Week, two-time NEC Academic Honor Roll student and Rider’s Athlete of the Month in October 2025. 

“She’s gonna go somewhere in life, because she’s got great drive. When she puts her mind to something, it’s ‘whole go,’” Carey-Smith said. 

A leading legacy 

For Perales, her efforts on the field were always bigger than what was logged on the stat sheets. Believing that the sport is what makes an athlete grow, she followed the philosophy that the challenges and obstacles she faced when playing overseas is what has shaped her as a person.

With her attempt to mirror the influence the seniors had on her experience, Perales worked to connect with her team, showing them that, no matter the outcome of a game, teammates are the constant foundation, and “that’s just the culture of Rider field hockey,” Perales said.

Carey-Smith noted the effort from Perales forced her into a leadership role in her senior season. Taking the time to personally meet with each freshman and attempting to open up to the entire team marked her as not only a leader, but a captain of the Broncs’ program.

As one of the rare athletes who elevates everyone around her, Perales stood as not only a driving force on the roster, but a light to all those who had the privilege of meeting her.

“There’s not one person that doesn’t like Val,” Carey-Smith said. “I always say this to her, I’m like, ‘I’m a better person because I met you’… and she just laughs at me every time.”