Rich Hidy, Sports Editor

 

Notre Dame sophomore Cari Roccaro is the Swiss Army Knife of college soccer.  Not only is Roccaro capable of playing forward, midfielder and defender for the Irish soccer team, but her versatility also lies in her leadership skills.

Ever since Roccaro came to Notre Dame last season as a freshman, after participating in international competition for the USA U-20 team, the Irish have witnessed wins accumulate on the pitch.  Roccaro played 16 matches last season, helping the Irish win 14 of their last 17 games and advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals.  She was a part of the top recruiting class in the nation in 2012, and is joined by current Irish players Katie Naughton, Crystal Thomas, Morgan Andrews and Kaela Little on the U-20 team.

 

“Representing my country with some of the Notre Dame girls is such an honor,” Roccaro said. “We are able to be a part of two great soccer programs and it allows us to learn and gain different types of experiences on and off the field that help us excel in both environments.”

 

Following a prolific freshman season in which she netted 6 goals and also recorded an assist, Roccaro was named the Soccer America National Freshman of the Year, the Big East Rookie of the Year and NSCAA third-team All-America.  Roccaro said her teammates deserve much of the credit for the praise given her by national pundits.

 

“Those accolades are a great honor, but I would not have been able to do it without my teammates,” Roccaro said.  “They helped me adjust to the college game and being around such great players for my freshman season pushed me to do my best.

 

After the disappointing exit out of the NCAA Tournament following a 16-6-2 season with 18 freshmen and sophomores, Roccaro went on a mission to help take Notre Dame to the next level.  A move to the ACC presented a tough challenge for the Irish, and Roccaro’s spark and impact on the game gave her a leg up in directing the team on a course to sustained success.

 

“I am more comfortable this year compared to last year, and I think the experience I had in college as a freshman has allowed me to assist the younger players on and off the field,” Roccaro said.  “I would say I am pretty vocal as a leader, but there are times when I do not mind just leading by example and pushing myself as hard as I can at all times.”

 

Roccaro’s vocal leadership style has helped the Irish earn an 11-7-1 record heading into postseason play.  She has filled a variety of roles for the Irish this season, starting the first half of the year at the midfield spot until a shift to forward in late September resulted in a hat trick against Maryland in a 5-0 victory, and a goal and two assists against Pittsburgh three days later.  Roccaro is third on the team in goals with four total, and also has two assists.  Roccaro’s ability to adjust to whatever her assigned position is on any given day dates back to her early involvement in the game.

 

“I’ve never really had a set position my whole life, and I think my competitiveness and love for the game has allowed me to learn how to play all positions,” Roccaro told the Rover.  “As a kid, I did not care what position I was playing.  I just wanted to be on the field, and that kind of stuck as I grew up.”

Two of the 6 Irish freshmen have made a huge impact on the season.  Midfielder Morgan Andrews leads the team in shots and is second in goals.  In net, keeper Kaela Little has become a brick wall for the Irish with 5.2 shutouts and 70 saves.  She has only allowed 18 goals in 19 games.  Part of the reason the freshmen have made such an impact can be credited to Roccaro, who helped ease the young players into the program during the summer in U-20 and exhibition play.

 

“I was here at Notre Dame for summer school, so I spent a lot of time with three of the freshmen and some of the upper classmen and I were able to help show them the way,” Roccaro said.  “I also helped Morgan Andrews and Kaela Little make the transition from U-20 camp into preseason this year because us three along with Katie Naughton and Crystal Thomas all came in late and missed the first week of preseason.”

Being a student-athlete at the Division I level demands a specific lifestyle.  Discipline and camaraderie are two characteristics that are necessitated by the nature of collegiate athletics.  The Irish share a common goal in putting their names in the record books with aspirations for postseason glory.

 

“Our team is trying to win the ACC tournament, and also make the final four this year,” Roccaro said.  “We haven’t been to the final four in two years, and we want to get back to that spot and aim for winning the National Championship.  We’ve been working really hard.”

 

Roccaro said all of the Irish players—from seniors to freshmen—enjoy each other’s company, which goes a long way in creating an environment on the field where all 11 players work together as a unit.

 

“Our team chemistry is awesome this year,” Roccaro said.  “We stick together on the field, and I think we are able to handle adversity because of our cohesiveness off the field.  We only lost two players from last year’s team so it was easy to integrate the freshmen into our team that already had great chemistry.”

Roccaro, while representing Notre Dame on the field, also has really taken advantage of the opportunity to grow socially, academically and spiritually—three vital aspects of a Notre Dame education.

 

“I love this place,” Roccaro said.  “I have made so many friends and met so many amazing people, while I get to do what I love and play soccer every day while getting a good education.  (Spiritually), Notre Dame has allowed me to learn more about my religion and myself.  Our team prays together before every game. I don’t think you can beat (this place).”

 

Rich Hidy is a sophomore marketing major and journalism minor. He enjoys watching Bengals games on Sunday afternoons, especially when they are leading the division. Contact him at rhidy@nd.edu