Family reunion, big moments
highlight Rohm's Metea Valley career
By Dave Owen
Sydney Rohm knew right away that her Metea Valley soccer career would be something special.
“When I made varsity in my freshman year, I got to play with my older sister (Taylor),” Rohm said. “She was a senior that year. So that was a really cool experience, finally getting to play with my older sister because we were never able to do that because of the age difference. That was honestly so fun.
“We’ve always been super close. Basically, everything she did I wanted to do. So starting in soccer when I was like six years old, she was so good, and I was like ‘I want to do what she’s doing.’
“She (Taylor) is a person I’ve always looked up to and wanted to play with,” Rohm added. “We’re super competitive with each other too, so we’d always go back and forth playing against each other and trying to see who’s better.”
In one important way, consider that competition a draw. Both Rohm sisters played on three regional championship teams: Taylor from 2015 to 2017, Sydney from 2017 to 2019.
That 2017 season in which their paths intersected was also one of the best of the school’s six-year run of regional titles.
That squad produced a 16-4-4 record, helped by a strong senior class that also featured three-year varsity players like future DePaul forward Jade Eriksen-Russo, Amy Ahern, Kelly Crowe, Makenna Schoolman and Abby Severson.
“It was just a really great, competitive group of seniors (in 2017),” Rohm said. “They were all so amazing, such good leaders.
“I’m not going to lie, it was a little intimidating my freshman year coming out and seeing a starting lineup with like nine seniors. Obviously, I experienced a little bit of hardship freshman year in terms of playing time and stuff like that, but honestly it was such a great experience being surrounded by such big personalities and really good leaders in general.”
The great times that season came with some challenges.
“When I think about freshman year, I was scared and didn’t have much confidence in myself,” Rohm said. “Especially when you join a team with such amazing players you sometimes tend to doubt yourself, that ‘Oh I’m not as good as them.’
“I remember my second game freshman year, I didn’t play a single minute against Lyons (a 3-3 tie). That’s something I’ll never forget. I was so used to the club atmosphere and playing all the time. All of a sudden I go to high school soccer playing with all these older girls, and I didn’t play nearly as much as I thought I would.”
But as time went on, Rohm’s playing time went up. And she and fellow four-year varsity players Nikki Coryell, Paige Buranosky and Nicole Dawson would become the Mustangs’ next wave of leaders.
“Me, Nikki, Paige and Nicole have been together since freshman year, so we’ve gotten extremely close,” said Rohm, who was also club teammates for two years of high school with Dawson and Buranosky at Galaxy, of Naperville.
“We’re really, really good friends. So in a way that’s helped us to become better leaders in a sense, because we’re so close. And we can share what we experienced the last four years, because obviously we’ve been through a lot from freshman year to senior year.”
What the four current co-captains went through this spring was a first for senior classes: the suspension and then cancellation of the season due to a pandemic.
“I think that experience being together has helped us create a greater bond within the team as well, especially through these tough times,” Rohm said.
“Obviously it’s so upsetting what’s going on right now, but we started to realize that there are people below us that still need our leadership and will still be playing next year. We’re trying to do whatever we can do to leave some kind of impact and mark, so people after us feel confident in themselves and just basically get hyped up for next year.
“We do lots of Zoom calls and team challenges every week,” Rohm added, “and just staying in touch and still talking to each other I think has in a way helped us all through all this craziness.”
When Rohm reflects on memorable moments at Metea Valley, another type of craziness comes to mind.
“I think one of my favorite games that I can recall was last year’s regional championship (at Lockport),” Rohm said. “I just remember it because we played on this grass field that wasn’t in the best condition; it was so incredibly muddy.
“The first half we were losing, then in the second half we came out and got two goals in like the first 10 minutes. We ended up winning that game (2-1), and after the game it was so funny. We were all drenched in mud. And I just remember it was such a fun game in general.”
Still, a late season matchup with Naperville North would be a tough game to top.
While the excellent Metea defense did its job, forward Rohm was tripped in the box on a rush between two defenders. Her ensuing penalty kick finish into the lower left corner of the net would prove to be the difference in a 1-0 Mustangs win.
Naperville North would not lose another game all season en route to winning the Class 3A title.
“Naperville North is such a good team,” Rohm said. “They’ve always been one of our biggest rivals (in the DuPage Valley Conference), so to beat them is always a huge game for us. And I think it was the year before they beat us in the sectional final, so they’re always a team we really, really want to beat.
“Beating them in that game was probably one of the highlights of the last four years I’ve been at Metea. And getting the goal was really nice too.”
Whether it was clutch plays or team chemistry, Metea Valley coach Chris Whaley was impressed by Rohm’s contributions.
“She embraced the big moments,” Whaley said, “but was a true team player on varsity since her freshman year.
“She is a great program kid. She stopped playing club (two years ago) but fell in love with high school soccer. She has the type of passion and drive that you want to see in all of your players.”
That drive towards soccer success began as a family tradition, but grew into much more.
“It was initially because of my older sister,” Rohm said, “but as soon as I started playing from a young age, I just fell in love with the game.
“I’ve had really good coaches throughout my entire soccer career, so especially being on such great teams and having great teammates, I’ve made some of my best friendships playing soccer. That’s one of the things besides the game and the competitive nature: that team bond has been really a driving force throughout.”
For Rohm and the entire Metea Valley squad, that drive seemed to find a new gear each season when playoff time came.
Whether it was the 16-win season of 2017 or holding a 9-8-2 record entering the 2019 regionals, the Mustangs have hit their peak at the right time to reach sectionals the last six years.
“Honestly I would say we have a lot of heart,” Rohm said. “We weren’t always the best: we have a really good defense, and we sometimes would struggle up-top. But I feel we just grinded it out.
“We always just worked our butts off, and that’s in a way what separated us from other teams. Also our team chemistry, we’ve always been so close. That also made us a stronger team in general.”
And whether it was learning the ropes as a freshman or everything that followed, Rohm maintained an even keel.
“I’ve experienced many ups and downs in terms of playing time my last three seasons,” she said. “But I guess I’ve learned along the way that you have to be a supportive teammate regardless of whether or not you get playing time. You have to push through it and show the coaches that you deserve to be on that field.
“Overall I’ve gained more confidence, which is largely due to my coaches. Whaley (and assistants Rachel) Bostick and (Josh) Robinson have seriously supported me so much throughout my four years of high school, and my teammates. My confidence level drastically improved from freshman year.”
As for those coaches, Rohm’s enthusiasm level and leadership left an impression.
“She was voted captain this year,” Whaley said, “and wanted nothing more than to compete and represent the program.”
With that opportunity denied, Rohm will next focus her energies on impressive future plans at the University of Georgia.
“I’m planning on majoring in biological sciences at Georgia,” she said, “and then do a two-year PA (physician assistant) school after. That’s kind of my plan at the moment.
“My older sister (Jessica) is a radiation therapist, and she really likes her job. So that just made me want to do something in the medical field. And I really enjoy talking to people.
“I didn’t want a desk job, 9-to-5 in a normal office,” Rohm added. “I want to move around, and the medical field seemed like an obvious option to me.”
And speaking of moving around, the turmoil of the past few months has recharged her desire to take the field again.
“I wish I knew that my last game (of 2019, in the sectional semifinals last spring as a junior) was my last game at Metea,” Rohm said. “Not having this season has made me really want to play.
“I’m thinking about joining the club team (at Georgia), or at least doing intramurals or something.”
Whatever Rohm’s soccer future holds, the impression that her energetic play and attitude made at Metea Valley won't be forgotten.
“I wish every kid truly appreciated these opportunities to play the game as much as she does,” Whaley said.
highlight Rohm's Metea Valley career
By Dave Owen
Sydney Rohm knew right away that her Metea Valley soccer career would be something special.
“When I made varsity in my freshman year, I got to play with my older sister (Taylor),” Rohm said. “She was a senior that year. So that was a really cool experience, finally getting to play with my older sister because we were never able to do that because of the age difference. That was honestly so fun.
“We’ve always been super close. Basically, everything she did I wanted to do. So starting in soccer when I was like six years old, she was so good, and I was like ‘I want to do what she’s doing.’
“She (Taylor) is a person I’ve always looked up to and wanted to play with,” Rohm added. “We’re super competitive with each other too, so we’d always go back and forth playing against each other and trying to see who’s better.”
In one important way, consider that competition a draw. Both Rohm sisters played on three regional championship teams: Taylor from 2015 to 2017, Sydney from 2017 to 2019.
That 2017 season in which their paths intersected was also one of the best of the school’s six-year run of regional titles.
That squad produced a 16-4-4 record, helped by a strong senior class that also featured three-year varsity players like future DePaul forward Jade Eriksen-Russo, Amy Ahern, Kelly Crowe, Makenna Schoolman and Abby Severson.
“It was just a really great, competitive group of seniors (in 2017),” Rohm said. “They were all so amazing, such good leaders.
“I’m not going to lie, it was a little intimidating my freshman year coming out and seeing a starting lineup with like nine seniors. Obviously, I experienced a little bit of hardship freshman year in terms of playing time and stuff like that, but honestly it was such a great experience being surrounded by such big personalities and really good leaders in general.”
The great times that season came with some challenges.
“When I think about freshman year, I was scared and didn’t have much confidence in myself,” Rohm said. “Especially when you join a team with such amazing players you sometimes tend to doubt yourself, that ‘Oh I’m not as good as them.’
“I remember my second game freshman year, I didn’t play a single minute against Lyons (a 3-3 tie). That’s something I’ll never forget. I was so used to the club atmosphere and playing all the time. All of a sudden I go to high school soccer playing with all these older girls, and I didn’t play nearly as much as I thought I would.”
But as time went on, Rohm’s playing time went up. And she and fellow four-year varsity players Nikki Coryell, Paige Buranosky and Nicole Dawson would become the Mustangs’ next wave of leaders.
“Me, Nikki, Paige and Nicole have been together since freshman year, so we’ve gotten extremely close,” said Rohm, who was also club teammates for two years of high school with Dawson and Buranosky at Galaxy, of Naperville.
“We’re really, really good friends. So in a way that’s helped us to become better leaders in a sense, because we’re so close. And we can share what we experienced the last four years, because obviously we’ve been through a lot from freshman year to senior year.”
What the four current co-captains went through this spring was a first for senior classes: the suspension and then cancellation of the season due to a pandemic.
“I think that experience being together has helped us create a greater bond within the team as well, especially through these tough times,” Rohm said.
“Obviously it’s so upsetting what’s going on right now, but we started to realize that there are people below us that still need our leadership and will still be playing next year. We’re trying to do whatever we can do to leave some kind of impact and mark, so people after us feel confident in themselves and just basically get hyped up for next year.
“We do lots of Zoom calls and team challenges every week,” Rohm added, “and just staying in touch and still talking to each other I think has in a way helped us all through all this craziness.”
When Rohm reflects on memorable moments at Metea Valley, another type of craziness comes to mind.
“I think one of my favorite games that I can recall was last year’s regional championship (at Lockport),” Rohm said. “I just remember it because we played on this grass field that wasn’t in the best condition; it was so incredibly muddy.
“The first half we were losing, then in the second half we came out and got two goals in like the first 10 minutes. We ended up winning that game (2-1), and after the game it was so funny. We were all drenched in mud. And I just remember it was such a fun game in general.”
Still, a late season matchup with Naperville North would be a tough game to top.
While the excellent Metea defense did its job, forward Rohm was tripped in the box on a rush between two defenders. Her ensuing penalty kick finish into the lower left corner of the net would prove to be the difference in a 1-0 Mustangs win.
Naperville North would not lose another game all season en route to winning the Class 3A title.
“Naperville North is such a good team,” Rohm said. “They’ve always been one of our biggest rivals (in the DuPage Valley Conference), so to beat them is always a huge game for us. And I think it was the year before they beat us in the sectional final, so they’re always a team we really, really want to beat.
“Beating them in that game was probably one of the highlights of the last four years I’ve been at Metea. And getting the goal was really nice too.”
Whether it was clutch plays or team chemistry, Metea Valley coach Chris Whaley was impressed by Rohm’s contributions.
“She embraced the big moments,” Whaley said, “but was a true team player on varsity since her freshman year.
“She is a great program kid. She stopped playing club (two years ago) but fell in love with high school soccer. She has the type of passion and drive that you want to see in all of your players.”
That drive towards soccer success began as a family tradition, but grew into much more.
“It was initially because of my older sister,” Rohm said, “but as soon as I started playing from a young age, I just fell in love with the game.
“I’ve had really good coaches throughout my entire soccer career, so especially being on such great teams and having great teammates, I’ve made some of my best friendships playing soccer. That’s one of the things besides the game and the competitive nature: that team bond has been really a driving force throughout.”
For Rohm and the entire Metea Valley squad, that drive seemed to find a new gear each season when playoff time came.
Whether it was the 16-win season of 2017 or holding a 9-8-2 record entering the 2019 regionals, the Mustangs have hit their peak at the right time to reach sectionals the last six years.
“Honestly I would say we have a lot of heart,” Rohm said. “We weren’t always the best: we have a really good defense, and we sometimes would struggle up-top. But I feel we just grinded it out.
“We always just worked our butts off, and that’s in a way what separated us from other teams. Also our team chemistry, we’ve always been so close. That also made us a stronger team in general.”
And whether it was learning the ropes as a freshman or everything that followed, Rohm maintained an even keel.
“I’ve experienced many ups and downs in terms of playing time my last three seasons,” she said. “But I guess I’ve learned along the way that you have to be a supportive teammate regardless of whether or not you get playing time. You have to push through it and show the coaches that you deserve to be on that field.
“Overall I’ve gained more confidence, which is largely due to my coaches. Whaley (and assistants Rachel) Bostick and (Josh) Robinson have seriously supported me so much throughout my four years of high school, and my teammates. My confidence level drastically improved from freshman year.”
As for those coaches, Rohm’s enthusiasm level and leadership left an impression.
“She was voted captain this year,” Whaley said, “and wanted nothing more than to compete and represent the program.”
With that opportunity denied, Rohm will next focus her energies on impressive future plans at the University of Georgia.
“I’m planning on majoring in biological sciences at Georgia,” she said, “and then do a two-year PA (physician assistant) school after. That’s kind of my plan at the moment.
“My older sister (Jessica) is a radiation therapist, and she really likes her job. So that just made me want to do something in the medical field. And I really enjoy talking to people.
“I didn’t want a desk job, 9-to-5 in a normal office,” Rohm added. “I want to move around, and the medical field seemed like an obvious option to me.”
And speaking of moving around, the turmoil of the past few months has recharged her desire to take the field again.
“I wish I knew that my last game (of 2019, in the sectional semifinals last spring as a junior) was my last game at Metea,” Rohm said. “Not having this season has made me really want to play.
“I’m thinking about joining the club team (at Georgia), or at least doing intramurals or something.”
Whatever Rohm’s soccer future holds, the impression that her energetic play and attitude made at Metea Valley won't be forgotten.
“I wish every kid truly appreciated these opportunities to play the game as much as she does,” Whaley said.