Bio

Leading goal scorer to be inducted into Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame 

Known as one of the top soccer players to ever play at Cowley College, Amber (Hernandez) Carson was a member of the first two seasons (2008-2009) of the program’s history. Carson will be recognized for her accomplishments when she is inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, January 28.

Carson began playing soccer at the age of four and went on to have a decorated high school career in Ponca City, OK. After leading her team in goals each of her four years at the school, Carson was named to the 2008 Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State team.

When it was time to decide where to play soccer collegiately, Carson chose to attend the newly formed soccer program at Cowley College.

“The thought of making history as the first women’s soccer team for the school was a big factor in my decision,” Carson said.

Carson burst onto the national scene as a freshman when she scored the 10^th most goals in the NJCAA. She finished her first season at Cowley with 26 goals in 17 games. The Ponca City native twice scored five goals in a game and finished with 55 points on the season. For her efforts, she was named Freshman of the Year in the Jayhawk Conference and was an honorable mention all-American.

“As a first-year program, we had to face some tough opponents with fully developed programs,” Carson said. “I remember getting down on myself when we would have a terrible loss, and Coach (Roberto) dos Santos was always great at giving the after-loss pep talk. I would look to him a lot for advice during those first seasons at Cowley.”

Carson scored the seventh most goals in NJCAA Division I women’s soccer as a sophomore and was named a first-team Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference women’s soccer selection for the second consecutive year.

She finished the season with 29 goals and nine assists in 17 games and ended her Tiger career with 55 goals and 12 assists in 34 contests.

“I attribute my success to a lot of hard work and dedication to the sport growing up,” Carson said. “I look back fondly on all the fun my teammates, and I would have. We would all meet for lunch, carpool, and jam to our favorite songs on the way to practice.”

After Cowley, she managed an apartment complex in her hometown of Ponca City, OK, and has been with the company for 10 years. She and her husband have a daughter Colbie 6, and a son KJ 3.

Carson considers it an honor to be selected for the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame.

“I remember walking the halls and seeing all of the past Hall of Famers, thinking how awesome would that be,” Carson said. “I am so proud and honored to say I am on that wall now.”