Mariah Nguyen is an Aurora standout and future Gopher with more than a million TikTok followers

Mariah Nguyen’s family restaurants are always buzzing.

Servers fly around corners and through kitchen doors. Pans hiss. The chatter is constant and pop or R&B music fills in the few gaps. Soon, an employee — maybe Mariah’s father or cousin — will return from the kitchen with bubble tea or spring rolls.

Mariah, an Aurora FC standout and soon-to-be Minnesota Gopher, spent much of her childhood at Lotus Restaurant, which has locations in Minneapolis and Maple Grove. She didn’t work behind the counter much. Her dad, Joey, didn’t want that.

He and his parents — who immigrated to the United States from Vietnam in the early 1980s and later took ownership of the restaurant — had worked hard. Joey wanted her to be a kid. To build forts in the restaurant office. To watch “Hannah Montana.” To play soccer.

But Lotus has had an impact on Mariah nonetheless. The restaurant is full of family and flavor, both of which she brings to Aurora FC. A sparkplug since the club’s debut in 2022, she’s tied for second in all-time goals (19) and points (47). Mariah is known to fans as much for her play as she is for her creative goal celebrations — from flopping like a fish to pretending to be a charging bull.

She’s Aurora’s resident Disney Channel superfan, lifting teammates’ spirits with jokes and songs. Her TikToks have had a similar impact. Mariah has garnered more than a million followers on the platform, where she’s gone viral for, among other things, videos of her dancing and blaring music after her parents took her bedroom door off its hinges in 2020.

“She’s like full of jokes, and then also, at the same time, a no-jokes kind of person,” Aurora coach Jen Larrick said. “Like, she wants to win. She will do everything it takes to win. … She really knows what this team is all about and exemplifies the character we look for.”

“Her goofiness definitely comes from me a little bit — the fun, spirited type stuff," Joey said. “And her competitiveness, that side of her, comes from her mom all the way.”

Mariah’s mother, Crystal, played soccer throughout her time at Osseo High School. She had hoped to play in college, but life — and Mariah’s arrival — altered the plan. Crystal was 19. Joey was 18.

“I got offers, but then I got pregnant with her,” Crystal said. “So I told her she can live out my dream.”

In 2021, Mariah began her college career at Bemidji State. The transition wasn’t easy. From starter to the sideline, her role shrank. Her joy in the game started to slip.

“She would call me many times and be like, ‘I don’t get it. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong,’” Crystal said.

Goalkeeper and current Aurora teammate Taylor Kane noticed Mariah immediately. Kane recalled her speed and how hard it was to defend against her. The coaching staff also noticed and selected Mariah for the inaugural team.

“I don’t think it could have come at a better time,” Crystal said, “when she was kind of at a low, just trying to find herself in the game again.”

Following her first summer season with the Aurora in 2022, Mariah walked on at St. Thomas. For two seasons, she led the Tommies in goals, points and shots on goal. After having her 2024 season cut short due to a concussion, she’s transferring again — this time to Minnesota.

Mariah was drawn to the Gophers’ intense training environment, which she likened to the Aurora.

“That was kind of what was missing from my other colleges,” Mariah said, “just that drive to push each other every single day — day in, day out — which we have here at Aurora.”

That comes in many forms — from wearing goofy swim goggles with plastic eyelashes to team lake outings and touting her 16,602 Dave & Buster’s points. Mariah also likes to invite her teammates — veterans and rookies alike — for meals at Lotus Restaurant. For these reasons and more, Larrick pegs Mariah as a “steward of the team.”

Aurora teammate Jelena Zbiljic added: “She brings out that inner child in every person. She just has that fun personality that you want to be around always.”

And while it’s far too early to reminisce, Mariah hopes the energy she brings will leave something lasting.