Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Week
Name: Addie Roman
School: Canon-McMillan
Sport: Soccer
Class: Sophomore
Roman’s week: Roman had the most important goal of Canon-McMillan’s soccer season when she scored in double overtime to give the Big Macs a 2-1 win over Mt. Lebanon in the semifinals of the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs Saturday at Baldwin High School.
“I scored the game-winning goal against our rival Peters Township in the regular season,” Roman said. “But it was not as important as this one. This one got us to the WPIAL championships.”
Roman’s 14th goal of the season meant the Big Macs are a victory away from the trophy. C-M will play Norwin, a 1-0 winner over Fox Chapel in the other semifinal match. The championship will be at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh Saturday afternoon at 3:30.
“I know I’ll be nervous,” said Roman, who is right-footed but has scored most of her goals with her left foot. “But as soon as the whistle blows, I’ll be ready to play.”
A stop in Texas: A job opportunity took the Roman family to Frisco, Texas, when Roman was 4 years old. She got into the area’s soccer program at 7, when she joined an academy team – the state’s version of Western Pennsylvania’s club teams.
“It was a lot more competitive in Texas than here,” Roman said. “It’s not that this area isn’t competitive but there were so many more girls trying out for soccer down there. Sometimes, there would be 100 girls trying out for 15, 16 spots. That helped me. I learned not to make everything you do feel so final. I knew I had to work harder to get what I wanted.”
The family returned to Western Pennsylvania when Roman was 11 and she joined the Beadling Soccer Club, based in the Mt. Lebanon area. She also went out for the Canon-McMillan varsity and earned starting spots with both.
“The seniors on this team lost in the WPIAL championship two years ago and lost in the state finals, too,” said Roman. “I want to help these girls win the title.”
Inspiration: For each match this season, Roman wears a flexible wrist bracelet around her ankle. WPIAL rules prohibit bracelets worn on the wrist. The bracelet is in remembrance of a special person who influenced her soccer.
“It’s for Neil Kohlmyer, who was one of my coaches with Beadling,” said Roman. “He passed away suddenly and was very young. I just put it on my ankle, then pull my sock up and put my shin guards over it before I go out on the field.”
Compiled by Joe Tuscano