Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week, Katie Roche: Authority figure
Barry Faulkner
Though Katie Roche is one of three captains, her place as the Costa
Mesa High girls soccer team’s dominant leader is not open for discussion.
Discussion, you see, would require something other than a monologue,
which the junior sweeper consistently maintains in an attempt to help her
team reach the playoffs for the first time in the program’s history.
“I’ve always been a leader on all my teams,” said the three-sport
athlete, who swims and plays volleyball merely as sidelights to a
year-round passion for soccer. “I always want to win and that has led to
me step up and be a leader. On my club team, if you don’t talk, you don’t
play. But when I came to high school no one talked. I talk the whole game
and I try to tell (teammates) what I know. I like taking (direction)
back, but no one tells me anything.”
The Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week, however, does much more than talk a
good game.
“She plays very strong defense and has done so consistently all season
long,” Costa Mesa Coach Dan Johnston said. “Our defenders are all doing a
good job, but because (Roche) is so solid behind everybody, it gives our
fullbacks the opportunity to take some extra chances. (Roche) is very
sure-footed, she makes good traps and she can kick the ball farther than
anybody in our (Pacific Coast) league.”
Roche, who plays center halfback for the Wolfpack club program, began her
varsity career as a freshman halfback.
“But I moved her to sweeper last year and that seems to be the perfect
spot for her,” Johnston said. “She has good control with both feet, she
can kick the ball 60 yards with both feet and she gets up consistently
for headers. We move her up to attack on corner kicks and she very often
will play the ball from placement. She is also a threat to score at any
time, which could be considered unusual for a sweeper.”
Roche’s defense prowess has helped the Mustangs (8-3-7, 2-2-2 in league)
record eight shutouts and limit opponents to one goal in all but one
other game. Only University, which earned a 3-0 league win Jan. 11, had
more than limited offensive success.
Roche’s defensive work helped Mesa earn a 2-1 win over cross-town rival
Estancia Jan. 28 and she scored her third goal of the season in a 1-1 tie
with Uni Tuesday. The tie kept the Mustangs one point ahead of the
Trojans in a race for third place, and the coveted guaranteed playoff
spot.
“Our team has grown and gotten so much better since I was a freshman,”
said Roche, a first-team All-PCL performer last season. “This year’s team
has so much potential and making the playoffs would be a big step. Our
league is really hard, so if we can get out of that, I think we can do
pretty well in the playoffs. We know we can compete against good teams.”
Roche competes against her own demanding standards as much as the
opposing team.
“I’ve always been fairly hard on myself, since I started playing when I
was 5,” Roche said. “I’ve always wanted to be the best and I’ve tried to
work my hardest to do it. I get frustrated with myself if I don’t play
the way I think I can.”
Roche thoroughly enjoys her sweeper role and the Mustangs’ emphasis on
defense usually keeps her in the middle of the action.
“That’s not always so great,” said Roche, who unselfishly wishes the ball
was at the opposing end more often.
“Sometimes I think we play defense too much.”
Roche hopes to see action at the collegiate level, but is currently
intent on spurring the Mustangs on -- with words and deeds.
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