By Sydney Branch
A single goal often decides the victor in soccer matches.
In the first two games of the 2010 Crimson Tide women’s soccer season, Brooke Rogers has already scored two goals. Both were within the first 10 minutes of game play and both proved crucial in the Alabama’s first two victories.
A 5-foot-5-inch senior from Cincinnati, Ohio, Rogers is a three-year letterman and veteran player for the Tide. The goals she has scored this season are remarkable for Rogers personally – she has already tied her goal total for last season in the first two games of 2010. Although Rogers feels her initial success is exciting, she sees the work for the 2010 season to be far from finished.
“It is really encouraging, and it is where my expectations are for this year,” Rogers said. “We are on the right track and on the right path for where we need to be right now.”
Head coach Todd Bramble sees Rogers’ athleticism as her greatest contribution to the team.
“She has an incredible gift in her athletic abilities,” Brambles said. “She stands out above a lot of other players in the SEC with her strength, power and pure speed. She is a handful for defensive players to deal with.”
Rogers said the team has set goals for the season and hopes to reach them through a combination of hard work and practice.
“One of our bigger [goals] is making it to the SEC tournament with a strong seed,” Rogers said. “Another would be to get an NCAA bid to compete in the national tournament.”
The SEC tournament will begin on Nov. 3, and will be played in Orange Beach, and success in this tournament will determine the Tide’s chance of receiving a bid for NCAA tournament play. Competing in the NCAA tournament is collegiate soccer’s highest honor. It begins with a 64-team bracket and finishes with the presentation of the national title.
Though the Tide’s current 2-1 record, marred by a 3-0 shutout by Furman, shows promise for Alabama, being a senior makes this year’s season especially monumental for Rogers, as this is her final opportunity to compete in collegiate soccer.
“It is a lot different this year, and it is something I try not to focus on,” Rogers said. “But I know in the back of my mind, this is it – it is the last year, the last chance. With the talent and focus we have, it has the potential to be a really special year.”
Bramble feels Rogers’ senior class standing also adds a lot to the team’s success.
“She is bringing the urgency of a senior,” Bramble said. “It has dawned on her that this is the end of her soccer career. You cannot coach that and it is invaluable.”
Rogers said her enthusiasm for the sport has only increased since arriving at The Capstone and that her time at Alabama has been a very positive experience.
“The competition and the challenge of trying to get better since college began have kept me going,” Rogers said. “And it has been more fun than anything.”
Rogers longed to play college soccer, and for her, the choice to play for Alabama was swayed by all of the benefits the Tide had to offer.
“Our athletic department’s strength is unparalleled and the amount of attention given to it by the administration is phenomenal,” Rogers said. “I also get to play in the best conference in the country.”
The Tide’s next match will be at home on Sept. 5 against Chattanooga at 1 p.m.
