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.