Alumni Spotlight: Paula Portugal

In 2015, Paula Portugal, a young freshman field hockey player from Madrid, Spain, sat in her Chemistry 101 class at Miami University not knowing what to expect.

Her mind was racing: "I went to an English school when I was younger, but for me, I was like, 'Wow, this is full English. What if I can't take notes?'"

However, by the end of the class, Portugal's fears of keeping up in a different language had faded. "I remember being super nervous and then sitting in class and I didn't even realize as the class was going along I was fully understanding everything," she said. "Once I left the class, I was like, 'I naturally can understand everything.'"

For Portugal, this natural ability to find comfort and success in Oxford, Ohio was only just beginning. By the time she graduated four years later, she had not only earned a degree in Mathematics but also racked up quite a list of accomplishments on the field: A Honda Sports Award finalist, National Offensive Player of the Year, First Team All-American, Regional Player of the Year, two-time MAC Player of the Year, three-time First Team All-Conference, and 2017 Miami University Athlete of the Year, just to name a few.

Portugal found unparalleled amounts of success in Oxford, a long way away from the 17-year-old girl from Spain who began her time as a student-athlete unsure of what she wanted to do with her life.

"My freshman year, I think I switched majors twice," Portugal said. "I really did not know what I wanted to study. It was quite normal: I was 17 years old, and when I came to Miami I had no idea what I wanted to do."

By the end of Portugal's four-year career with the Red and White, she ranked second in program history in goals (73) and points (171) and tied for fourth in assists (25).

However, for Portugal, her individual success on the field is not what drove her. She was more focused on being part of a successful team and culture at Miami.

"I really valued the team over anything else…I didn't get stuck on the acknowledgement," said Portugal. "When I think back to my time at Miami, I never really think about the awards. I think about the moments with my teammates on and off the field with my friends."

The foundation Portugal and her teammates began to build back in 2015 continues strong to this day, as the current RedHawks extended the string of championships to 11 this fall (six regular-season, five tournament).

She reflected back on the early years and the process of building a sustainable winning culture in Oxford: "I remember after my sophomore year, if we needed to start winning games, we needed to switch something and we needed to commit to this. Since then, it seems the culture [has] kept growing."

Head coach Iñako Puzo recalled a pivotal moment for the program during Portugal's junior year. "Still, in the back of my head, I have a lot of memories of her scoring amazing goals in great situations," said Puzo. "One was the winning goal against Kent State at Kent State for the MAC tournament championship. At that point, the last four or five years, we'd never beaten Kent State at Kent State, so once again, we were against the odds and Paula was able to change the odds."

"Winning is something you take pride in," Portugal said. "When Miami shows up, I'm sure they show up thinking, 'We can beat anyone.' That was not the case my first year. When we played big finals, we were not mentally there to win those games. I think [with] the tradition that has been building the last couple years, Miami now wins finals and they play finals often."

Puzo echoed similar sentiments, crediting Portugal's teams as crucial to fostering a culture of belief in winning at Miami. "Miami has the capacity to beat anyone any given day, especially in big games and big-game situations," he said. "That's the kind of impact that Paula had in Miami field hockey: a player that could absolutely reverse the momentum and the dynamic of the game."

While Portugal helped lay the groundwork in Oxford, the lessons she learned across the country with the team helped her and the team forge a culture, particularly one memorable night in 2017 in Palo Alto, Calif. when Miami earned its first-ever NCAA tournament win.

"When we went to Stanford in the NCAA to go to the Sweet 16, it was an amazing experience," Portugal said. "As we traveled across California, we made a deal with the coaches that if we beat Stanford, we would get In-N-Out [burgers]. We all got In-N-Out. I enjoyed the fries and shake: we all got the full combo!"

"I remember talking to Paula and saying, 'If you want to win these kinds of games, you're going to have to do it [yourself] - you're going to have to really do something very special,'" said Puzo. "I remember talking at halftime and saying, 'Right now is not the time for you to start looking for someone else to fix the problem. You're going to have to probably take the ball on the 50, carry the ball 50 yards, and finish the game.'

"And that's what she did. She did it twice."

Memorable moments like that one at Stanford helped a young woman from Spain get a special experience from her time in America. "I got to travel around the U.S. while playing the sport that I love," said Portugal. "I got to meet some amazing people who are still some of my best friends."

In her senior campaign, Portugal led the MAC in scoring for the second straight season, totaling 24 goals, five assists and 53 total points. She set career-highs in goals, points, shots (120) and shots on goal (66), while also leading the RedHawks in goals (24), points (53), game-winning goals (5), shots (120), shots on goal (67) and penalty stroke goals (3).

Portugal credits much of her career and current success to the opportunities she was afforded at Miami and the development of women's sports since Title IX legislation was passed a half century ago.

"I wouldn't have had my experience at Miami without Title IX," said Portugal. "Same with my teammates. Currently in Belgium, I have a lot of friends who also went to the U.S. to a lot of different schools. A lot of Spanish girls who won in the U.S. are super grateful. While field hockey isn't huge in the United States, without Title IX, we would not have had the experience."

Portugal has continued to compete at a high level in her sport, currently playing professionally for the Royal Herakles in Belgium while she is pursuing her Master's degree.

For now, balance is the key in Portugal's life. As she works for Deloitte, an international professional services network, her career outside of field hockey is starting to take shape. "It's the first time in my life that I have to balance hockey with work," she said. During the start of the pandemic, Portugal's Master's classes were all online, which allowed plenty of time to focus on her sport. That's not the case in 2022, so time management is crucial.

"I'm really excited to start my career and looking forward to starting my life outside of hockey," she continued. "I'm having a bit of a moment with hockey: It's tough to balance with a full time job, [even] as much as I love field hockey and as much as it's given me."

As Portugal looks forward to her next chapter, she says her time at Miami was a transformative experience for the rest of her life, setting her up for success both on and off the field. "For me, it was life-changing," Portugal said. "I would not be the person I am today without the experience at Miami."

Find more Front Row Features at MiamiRedHawks.com/FrontRowFeatures.

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