HERO OF THE MATCH
SD Loyal is proud to honor an active duty, reserve, veteran, or retired service member at each of our home matches. Those military members chosen to be our Hero of the Match receive two tickets to the match, are recognized on-field for presentation of the colors during the National Anthem and receive a small gift to show appreciation for their sacrifice.
LT Nicolas Filio, USN
Hero of the Match: March 12, 2022
A native of San Diego and a graduate of Cathedral Catholic High School, LT Filio earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Marquette University. Upon completing his first assignment at Naval Medical Center San Diego, where he served as a Charge Nurse in the Intensive Care Unit, he reported to his current duty station in Okinawa, Japan, where he is a Critical Care Nurse and Platoon Commander with the 3rd Medical Battalion, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force.
Lt Col Kendra Motz, USMC
Hero of the Match: March 19, 2022
A native of Austin, TX, Lt Col Motz was commissioned in 2005 and has competed deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. A Communication Strategy and Operations Officer at 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, she will be departing soon to assume command of Marine Corps Embassy Security Group 5, which covers embassies in western Europe and Scandinavia.
LTJG Michael Angelo Encinas, USN
Hero of the Match: April 3, 2022
Enlisting in the Navy at the age of 17, LTJG Encinas served on USS Shiloh (CG 67) and USS Cushing (DD 985), and attained the rank of Chief Petty Officer. He left the Navy for two years to earn his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from San Diego State University and was commissioned as a Navy Officer at the age of 30. LTJG Encinas passed away while overseas in May of 2011.
YN2 Kevin Rodriguez, USCG
Hero of the Match: April 9, 2022
Assigned to Coast Guard District San Diego, Petty Officer Rodriguez has been indispensable in the district’s transition to the Coast Guard’s newly fielded travel system. One of three Coast Guard Passport Agents in San Diego, he has processed numerous emergent requests, often responding during off-duty hours. His willingness to go the extra mile ensured that Coast Guard district San Diego’s administrative office retains its reputation as being amongst the best in the service.
CPL Thomas Quesada, California Army National Guard
Hero of the Match: April 16, 2022
A member of the National Guard since January of 2013, CPL Quesada has deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba with the 525th Detention Battalion and to Afghanistan with the 36th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Armored Division. He also participated in numerous missions in California in support of U.S. Air Force and U.S. Department of Homeland Security operations.
SSG Michael Ryman, USA
Hero of the Match: June 11, 2022
A graduate of James Campbell High School in Kapolei, HI, Staff Sergeant Ryman enlisted in the Army in 2009 at the age of 4. His first assignment was to Fort Gordon, GA, where he deployed to Afghanistan in 2011. Since then, he has been stationed at Halemano Military Reservation, HI and Fort Huachuca, AZ. He is now assigned as a U.S. Army Recruiter with the San Diego South Recruiting Company.
CS1 Charlene Maxwell, USN
Hero of the Match: June 19, 2022
A native of West Chester, PA, Culinary Specialist First Class Charlene Maxwell enlisted in the Navy in May of 2008. Her previous tours include on USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and USS San Diego (LPD 22) as well as the James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, IL. She is currently assigned to Naval Base San Diego as the Leading Petty Officer at the base dining facility.
Cpl Victor Gonzales, USMC
Hero of the Match: June 25, 2022
Originally from Austin, TX, Cpl Gonzales graduated from Recruit training in November of 2017 and has been assigned to Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., and as Team Leader, A Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment at Camp Pendleton where he completed a deployment to Darwin, Australia in October of 2021.
CS1 Casey Shumway, USN
Hero of the Match: June 29, 2022
A native of Colorado Springs, CO, Culinary Specialist First Class Casey Shumway enlisted in the Navy in May of 2013. His previous tours of duty include USS Pasadena (SSN 752) and USS Scranton (SSN 756). He is currently assigned to Submarine Squadron 11 at Naval Base Point Loma.
SSgt Russell Olaes, USAF
Hero of the Match: July 9, 2022
Born on Clark Air Force Base in the Republic of the Philippines, Staff Sergeant Olaes grew up all over the world as the son of an Air Force member. He enlisted in 2015 at Vacaville, CA, and has served with the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base and the 455th Air Expeditionary Force at Bagram, Afghanistan. He is currently assigned to the 362nd Recruiting Squadron here in San Diego.
SSgt Juan Rios, USMC
Hero of the Match: July 18, 2022
Originally from Lowell, MA, SSgt Rios enlisted in 2013. During his career, he has been assigned to Marine Corps Installations West and the 1st Marine Raider Support Battalion, both at Camp Pendleton. He is also an honor graduate of the U.S. Marine Corps Martial Arts Instructor Course. SSgt Rios is currently assigned as a Drill Instructor at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego.
1stSgt Nathaniel Eirich, USMC
Hero of the Match: July 23, 2022
After graduating from Recruit Training in April of 2003, 1stSgt Eirich was assigned to Camp Lejeune, Camp Johnson, and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC. He is currently assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton. During his career, he completed deployments to Iraq, Morrocco, and Afghanistan.
CPT Curtis Valencia, USA
Hero of the Match: Aug. 6, 2022
Originally from Bakersfield, CA, CPT Valencia graduated in 2016 from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, and was commissioned into the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Having served in the 20th Engineer Battalion at Fort Hood, TX, and as the Facilities Engineer for Joint Special Forces Task Force Arabian Peninsula in Manama, Bahrain, he is currently the Commander of San Diego South Recruiting Company in Chula Vista, CA.
TSgt Robert Haberlein, USAF
Hero of the Match: Aug. 10, 2022
Originally from Lawrence, KS, TSgt Haberlein served for five years at McCord Air Force Base, WA. He is currently based at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, CA, where he has been a Loadmaster in the C-27 Globemaster for 16 years. A veteran of over 7,000 flight hours and 389 combat missions, he has flown in both the Afghanistan and Iraq Areas of Operations as well as on humanitarian missions all over the world.
LCpl Romel Finley, USMC
Hero of the Match: Aug. 24, 2022
Originally from Kenosha, WI, LCpl Finley enlisted in the Marine Corps in January of 2018. While assigned to Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, he was wounded during the attack on Abbey Gate at the Hamid Karzai Airport during the evacuation of Kabul, Afghanistan. He is currently assigned to Alpha Company, Wounded Warrior Battalion West at Camp Pendleton, where he continues his recovery.
YN2 Tristin Sloat, USN
Hero of the Match: Sept. 17, 2022
Originally from Grand Island, NE, Petty Officer Sloat enlisted in March of 2017 from San Antonio, TX. His first assignment was on USS Oscar Austin (DDG-79) at Naval Station Norfolk, VA, where he completed a seven-month deployment and was part of the firefighting effort that saved the ship after a serious fire broke out while the ship was undergoing maintenance. He is currently assigned to the staff of Commander, Navy Region Southwest here in San Diego.
