Roy’s Play Is Heard Loud, Clear
ALISO VIEJO — For Kirsten Roy, the most difficult thing about being a goalkeeper isn’t curling herself around a ball amid a half-dozen pairs of flailing cleats.
Nor is it staring down a shot that’s speeding toward her head.
For Roy, a senior at Aliso Niguel High, the most difficult thing about being a goalkeeper is simply talking.
This sets Roy apart from most goalkeepers, who are a chatty lot. On the field, they have to be verbose. From their special vantage point, goalkeepers have the best view of a play as it’s developing and they must communicate what they see to their defenders.
Roy’s reticence has inspired more than a little frustration in her coaches.
When she was about 14, one coach became so incensed at her silence in a game that the coach forced her to yell “Keeper!†over and over during the next practice.
“I had to scream it at the top of my lungs,†Roy said. “My team got a kick out of it.â€
Hugh Donald, Roy’s club coach on the San Juan Capistrano Blues, joked that he would like to get Marcel Marceau to play defender so Roy could communicate with someone without having to talk.
“She has started pointing fingers at people and letting them know. She does it in a quiet way, but she still does it,†Donald said.
Dean Matacchiera, a former goalkeeper at the University of Rochester, has worked with Roy as her personal coach for about five years. He has seen her improve dramatically in her ability to command the defense.
“With all kids, that’s a hard thing,†he said. “To be a goalkeeper, you have to go back there and demand and give instructions or orders. It doesn’t come naturally.â€
It’s one of the few aspects of soccer that didn’t come naturally for Roy. She has been playing the game since she was 5 and currently is one of the best goalkeepers in the county.
Last summer, she was invited to the Olympic Development Program’s Western Regional camp at the University of Oregon, and next fall she will attend UC Irvine on a soccer scholarship.
Roy has been a bright spot for the Aliso Niguel soccer team as it struggled through a tough nonleague schedule. The Wolverines (3-7-1) lost to top-ranked Santa Margarita (6-0-1) Tuesday in their final nonleague game.
Despite the rocky start, the Wolverines are looking forward to Pacific Coast League play. They returned 10 starters from a team that finished in second place in league last season and should challenge defending champion Laguna Hills (8-6) for the league title.
Aliso Niguel hosts Costa Mesa (3-5-1) in its league opener at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday.
With Roy in goal, the Wolverines have the capability of shutting out any team. She had 13 shutouts in 23 games last season and was selected first-team all-league and All-Southern Section Division II as well as second team all-county.
Roy’s best attribute, says Aliso Niguel Coach Sharon Alvarez, is her work ethic and knowledge of the game.
“She’s another coach out there,†Alvarez said.
Roy also has ballhandling skills uncommon for a goalkeeper.
“She is tremendous with her feet,†Donald said.
But perhaps the most important quality is Roy’s courage. She doesn’t think twice about diving head-first into a herd of kicking players. She’s the picture of composure when she’s staring down the opposing team’s star forward before a penalty kick.
“There is no fear involved,†Matacchiera said. “You can’t coach that.â€
She also has a high threshold for pain.
When playing for the Blues last season, Roy dislocated her pinky finger attempting a save. The ball squirted loose and she jumped for it again, slamming her aching finger into the leather.
After the play, Roy turned her head away as Donald removed her glove and slipped the finger back into place.
After so many injuries, it’s not surprising Roy has become interested in physical therapy. She is taking a sports medicine class through Dana Hills High’s regional occupation program. Roy also has been a student trainer for the Aliso Niguel football and basketball teams, bandaging injuries.
“I think it’s interesting. I like taping up people,†she said.
Roy empathizes with players who are sidelined because of injury. Not being able to play is like torture for Roy, which is one of the reasons she has been so successful.
“The main thing is desire,†Matacchiera said. “She wants it, and she has done what she needs to do to get it. Physically, she has all the tools. She has all the size and the strength.â€
College soccer is Roy’s for the taking--she just has to ask.
