A lover and a fighter

When Natalie Jurisevic isn't tackling Mid-American Conference forwards one-on-one, she's building houses for underprivileged families in the Dominican Republic or learning the art of foreign business in Singapore.

Jurisevic spent three weeks in the D.R. in high school. While the other girls were preparing dinner for the locals, Jurisevic, a starting senior defender on the women's soccer team, was carrying cement blocks to build a home.

"I was out there making the bricks and lifting up wheelbarrows and carrying cement bricks," she said. "The village people would call me a 'warrior' and a 'goddess' because they've never seen blonde hair or a woman do such hard work."

Jurisevic has been the anchor of the Bulls' defense since she arrived, compiling 53 starts and playing in every game but one (62 of 63) over her career. Her personality and strength on the field come from her experiences outside of her sport.

Jurisevic was one of 15 students selected from Assumption High School in Burlington, Ontario, to join the Health, Opportunity, Prosperity, Education - or H.O.P.E. - program.

She submitted an application, went on interviews, wrote essays and hoped to be one of the few chosen. She describes the trip as "one of the best experiences I've ever had."

The volunteers spent all their time around the native people, staying at a nearby school with the children, teaching them English and sharing meals with one another. At night, they would sleep in bunk beds in the same school as the children.

Above all, Jurisevic was amazed with the attitude of the people in the Dominican Republic.

"It was an awesome experience to give back and live in a place and see how they literally had nothing but were so happy," Jurisevic said. "And playing with these kids - if you give them a sticker, it was like the best day ever. It was just awesome. If I could go back, I would in a heartbeat."

Jurisevic grew up the third of four children and has two brothers. Their hazing produced her toughness.

"They would chase me, sit me down in the chair, and pretend to put their fingers [in my eyes] and be like, 'I'm not touching you,' then if I moved, they would like, gauge my eyes out," Jurisevic said.

Her teammates have seen her pushed down on the field, only to get back up and finish the play. It's just a part of her resolve.

Jurisevic said her brothers forced her to "learn how to fight back at a young age" - something she does for herself and for her teammates.

"If someone hits my teammate, I will probably be someone to find their number and hit them," Jurisevic said. "[I may have a] nice appearance, but I'll get at you."

Her perseverance may have been best exemplified in the team's opening home match - a 1-0 victory over Youngstown State.

Late in the second half, Jurisevic went down after a hard collision. She stayed on the ground for a few seconds as her team brought the ball to the offensive end, but Jurisevic remained in the game.

When head coach Michael Thomas asked her if she wanted to leave, she said she was fine. Jurisevic just wanted to make sure she wasn't bleeding. When Thomas asked her again, she gave back an emphatic, "I'm sure."

This summer, before entering her final season at Buffalo, Jurisevic boarded a plane bound for another country yet again. This time, she spent six weeks in Singapore through UB's study abroad program. As a business major with a focus in accounting, she hoped the experience would help her learn Chinese culture, which she said is a valuable skill for anyone entering international business.

Traveling around the world has helped her see herself and her situation in a different light.

"[These experiences] make you appreciate everything so much more after being in that type of environment - seeing how happy they are and realizing how grateful you can be with everything you have," Jurisevic said. "I think that relates to soccer, especially for me, because every day is one step closer to the end of my athletic career and realizing I have to be grateful every day."

The scuffles with her brothers, experiences across the globe and willingness to protect her teammates make her position as a defender seem appropriate.

"Defense is a really humble position because you don't get the glory of scoring or the glory of stopping [shots], but then we also lead everything," Jurisevic said.

Her message to herself on the field is short and sweet: 90 minutes.

Before every match, she writes those words on her wrist to remind her how important every minute of every game is.

"Sometimes in a game, you can mentally lapse," Jurisevic said. "But by writing 90 minutes, it reminds me in those 90 minutes, I have to remember every single detail of every moment because that could be an opportunity of losing or winning the game."

Whether viewed as a foreign 'goddess' or the anchor of Buffalo's defensive line, Jurisevic pushes to make the most of not only her soccer career, but her life.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com