The last time I talked to Pedro Monge-Munoz was back in 2023, when he was in the midst of his senior campaign at Thomas Jefferson High School, unknown of what was to come.
What started as nagging knee pain turned into a pretty substantial injury. Monge-Munoz ended up having broken cartilage in the meniscus in his left knee. The Cal State Bakersfield commit knew the road back to the field would be hard, but the depth that Monge-Munoz would have to pull himself out of was not in his mind at all.
“Being away from my family in California and still trying to get back from injury, I felt like I was by myself, and I had no one to help me through that tough time,” he said.
College is hard, and being a college athlete is hard. Doing it over 1,000 miles away from home is even harder. Monge-Munoz took that challenge head on, but there were some long days ahead of him, and that makes him even more resilient today.
“The first game of the spring at Western Oregon, I had the best game I had played in years. Before the injury, I was 180 pounds, and when I came back I was 215 pounds. I really didn’t talk to anybody about it, I just let it sit inside,” Monge-Munoz said.
Now, Monge-Munoz is spending his summer days playing in the USL-2 Division for the West Seattle Junction. The 6’2” defender also entered the transfer portal departing CSU Bakersfield and is now playing at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon.
“I lacked a little discipline to prepare myself for the best possible level after high school. Going to Western Oregon was more of a rehab fall for me. I was surrounded by great coaches and players that helped me get in the right place mentally and physically,” Monge-Munoz said.
After recovering from an injury, transferring schools, and returning to playing shape, the joy of soccer is back. While playing for Western Oregon, they took on the Portland Timbers MLS Next team and, in that game, Monge-Munoz was hit with an immense joy that he hadn’t felt in a long time.
“I climbed onto the bus with my Chipotle burrito with the biggest smile on my face. I felt like a little kid out there, no worries, just had to show up for kindergarten the next day. I was able to be myself. I was in better shape physically and mentally,” he said.
Playing for the Junction is a perfect offseason gig to prepare Monge-Munoz for the fall. Teams all over the Northwest are riddled with Power 4 players and as a former Division I player and current Division II player, Monge-Munoz sees that as an opportunity to assert himself on a stage like USL-2.
“I feel as a Division II player coming down from Division I that you always have a chip on your shoulder. I think it’s about every day proving what you can do,” Monge-Munoz said.
He’s also learned a lot and has become a sponge over his time with Junction under Manager Erik Oman.
“It’s a really good way to learn from guys that play on the East Coast. They play a more long-ball style or gritty defensive style. Then there are players from places like UW and play more of a tiki-taka style and focusing on shape and being coachable,” Monge-Munoz said.
Being on a team like the Junction, Monge-Munoz has built a special connection with the group. A team that only gets together for two months in the summer is quite the unique experience, but over those two months, Monge-Munoz has found a second family.
“I love the group. Everyone comes together really well. I have one of my buddies from Western Oregon here. Everybody knows everybody through some way. It’s really impossible to not fit in here,” Monge-Munoz said.
His goal for the summer is simple — be prepared in the fall when Western Oregon’s soccer season begins.
“Whatever my situation and my role is, I’m preparing myself and preparing those around me for the fall. I’m looking forward to preparing the best way physically and mentally and hopefully get my first start in the fall and be a concrete player on the backline,” Monge-Munoz said.
The Junction have four games left on the schedule this season, then for Monge-Munoz, the preparation for the school season will begin.
