After tearing her ACL in her Senior year at the Albany Academy for Girls, Talia Rockmore ’15 turned to Andover for one last year of high school soccer. The addition of “Albany’s Most Valuable Player” and All-League Player has catapulted Andover Girls Varsity Soccer to one of its best starts in recent years: a six-game undefeated streak.
Rockmore, who hails from Albany, N.Y., was unwilling to end her high school career early with a devastating injury that carries a grueling six- to nine-month recovery period. The attacking midfielder decided to take her talents east and found a place in Andover’s starting 11.
“It is better quality soccer and the team is a lot closer,” said Rockmore, whose previous league, the Colonial Council, featured mostly teams from Upstate New York private schools.
For a team that typically takes on only one Post-Graduate a year, Rockmore’s innate leadership, consistent positivity and enthusiastic personality set her apart from previous soccer Post-Graduates.
“She brings a willingness and personality to mesh with our group of girls and become connected. That is important to me,” said Head Coach Lisa Joel.
Rockmore has dove into this team of 14 returners and joined the core of seven Seniors seamlessly.
“[Rockmore] is in our starting lineup, and we haven’t had an undefeated team for six games in a while. She is a part of that for sure,” said Joel.
Rockmore can help push Andover further than it has ventured before. With her experience, comes her flexibility and ability to cope with a wide variety of situations on the field.
“She brings veteran leadership ability. Experience means you understand the game and you have been put in high-pressure situations,” said Joel.
With a dauntingly talented back four and consistent goal scorers in newcomer Zoe Oasis ’17 and Caroline Shipley ’16, Rockmore was the last piece of the puzzle. Her ease with the ball in the midfield makes her the perfect connection for the defense and attacking force.
“[Rockmore] brings a new sense of wisdom to the field that we haven’t seen before. She opens up the field when we need to switch the point of attack. It is helpful to have someone in the midfield who has as many years of experience as she does,” said Co-Captain Kinsey Yost ’15.
An ancillary quality to her innate skill, Rockmore’s experience has been consistently cited as one of her biggest selling points.
“I feel like my experience allows me to see and understand the game much better. I have good vision on the field and can understand the game tactically really well,” said Rockmore.
Amongst other things, Rockmore claims her experience gives her a better eye for piercing through balls, stronger sense of positioning and more awareness of her opponents’ weak points. She already has a goal to her name from Andover’s 4-1 win over Middlesex.
“I want the team as a whole to be more aggressive offensively,” said Rockmore.
This season, the team has been working to strengthen its midfield, and Rockmore has been a vital asset in this regard.
“We are only starting to mesh as a team as one unit, to really attack as one,” said Yost.
With Rockmore playing a central role on Andover’s undefeated side, the future is bright. A proven key player on the field, Rockmore will continue to aid Andover in its quest for an undefeated season.
“We are already outperforming last year’s team,” said Joel.
“It can only go up from here,” added Yost.
