KENT — The Metro Athletic Convention Event has had its share of surprises. This 12 months was extra a affirmation of the common season.
After Roosevelt topped Streetsboro 4-1 within the ladies soccer championship sport and Tallmadge 5-0 within the boys title sport, it was clear to all at Dix Stadium that 2026 is the 12 months of the Tough Riders.
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“This [has been] their aim all season,” Roosevelt boys co-coach Nathan Harris stated. “The depth at observe, the eye to element, the hassle, it is all there and so they deserve all of it.”
The Tough Riders’ first MAC Event did not simply cement their first soccer league titles in roughly a decade — after the Roosevelt girls and boys each went undefeated in the course of the MAC common season. It was additionally an opportunity to relish one thing utterly new, a league match atmosphere at Dix Stadium Oct. 14 with followers from myriad MAC faculties in attendance.
“One thing that was actually cool for us is we had a whole lot of alumni right here,” Roosevelt ladies coach Sammy Spicer stated. “We had a whole lot of youth right here and we had a whole lot of different college personnel right here that they often come and assist us, however to see them on this atmosphere and everybody cheering for issues that we have labored actually exhausting for was particularly thrilling.”
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Roosevelt impresses with array of crosses
The outcomes had been one type of validation. The crosses had been one other.
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Sure, the Tough Riders scored on an array of gorgeous crosses. Certainly, 5 of Roosevelt’s first six objectives within the two video games got here courtesy of a cross.
“That is one thing that is been tremendous thrilling is clearly we’re seeing a ton of success this 12 months, however once we speak concerning the success from this 12 months, we neglect that it is actually 5 years price of exhausting work,” Spicer stated. “So all of these crosses, all of these finish line runs, all of these again posts getting there, that is been simply one thing we have drilled in them since I first got here right here. So to see it join in such an area that introduced house one thing is de facto thrilling as a result of lastly it is like, okay, it is clicking, it is paying off.”The primary cross of the evening, off junior Maggie Pazderak’s foot, was truly headed for Molly Flynn, based on fellow sophomore Stella Haines, who ended up knocking the ball in by the again put up within the seventh minute.
“I used to be like, ‘Wait, depart it,’ on the final minute,” Haines stated. “After which I simply tried to get a foot on it as fast as potential.”
Roosevelt’s Stella Haines (1) appears to be like to drive down discipline towards Streetsboro, Sept. 29, 2026, at Roosevelt Excessive Faculty in Kent, Ohio.
The subsequent cross, by sophomore Carleigh Wiler to Haines, was no much less stunning to offer the Tough Riders a 2-0 lead halfway by way of the primary half.
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“She’s an excellent participant and she or he actually deserves many of the credit score there as a result of that was an insane ball and proper to me,” Haines stated. “I used to be simply in a position to get on the tip of it, and I used to be simply glad to be there and end it.”
A few minutes later, Haines’ older cousin, Audrey, despatched a slick cross from the tip line to the ft of Pazderak, who knocked it house for a 3-0 lead.
Roosevelt’s array of crosses carried into the second sport. The Tough Riders’ first aim got here when Ian Mikula pounced on a ball by the tip line and located Callaghan Knapp charging into the center of the field to drive the ball house.
“I performed Ian by way of,” Knapp stated. “Ian acquired a little bit caught as a result of the Tallmadge goalie did very well shielding him off. I knew Ian would play me the ball. Simply I ran, I scored.”
Roosevelt’s Kellen Obraza (7) appears to be like to make a shot on aim that went broad as Subject keeper Cole Porter (0) defends throughout a MAC semifinal match, Oct. 8, 2026, at Roosevelt Stadium in Kent, Ohio.
Earlier than the half was full, Josiah Atanga had a stupendous run up the left aspect earlier than crossing the ball to fellow junior Kellen Obraza for a slick one-touch end and a key insurance coverage aim within the thirty second minute.
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“Josiah’s been taking part in within the six [position] rather a lot, however we wanted to vary some issues up as we speak to get extra our bodies and [be] extra aggressive within the midfield and he moved out to the eight,” Harris stated. “His vary is simply loopy. He is so athletic, so huge and robust, and he simply bombs up and down the sphere with each ft. He is wonderful.”
5 gamers scored for Roosevelt, with Aaron McKinney, Isan Roberts and Mikula becoming a member of Knapp and Obraza.
“We simply have a whole lot of high quality gamers,” McKinney stated. “We have been working properly as a staff to try to play properly off one another and simply create good probabilities.”
The Roosevelt boys thus secured a seventh consecutive win, a stretch that has included six shutouts.
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“The captains, the management has simply been wonderful,” Harris stated. “They arrive out on our off days and so they’re operating practices on their very own. They have been combating for a very long time for one thing to play for, and so they had been simply tremendous excited the final two weeks of the season.
“They’re prepared for one thing greater than simply first convention championship since [2014]. They’re simply able to win one thing huge.”
Roosevelt’s Aaron McKinney (4) celebrates a aim with teammates throughout a MAC semifinal match towards Subject, Oct. 8, 2026, at Roosevelt Stadium in Kent, Ohio.
Each Roosevelt groups definitely look succesful after the boys made their first league title since 2014 outright and the women did the identical with their first title since 2017. Actually, the one down observe was Pazderak struggling a knee damage.In keeping with Spicer, “That is why as excited as we’re to win, there is a very somber really feel to it, as a result of she’s such an enormous a part of our dynamic.”
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Women title sport: Roosevelt 4, Streetsboro 1
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Stella Haines (Maggie Pazderak), 1-0 Roosevelt (33:51, 1st)
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Stella Haines (Carleigh Wiler), 2-0 Roosevelt (20:16, 1st)
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Maggie Pazderak (Audrey Haines), 3-0 Roosevelt (17:55, 1st)
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McKenzie Montgomery (penalty kick), 3-1 Roosevelt (8:20, 2nd)
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Sammi Maccarone, 4-1 Roosevelt (4:15, 2nd)
Boys title sport: Roosevelt 5, Tallmadge 0
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Callaghan Knapp (Ian Mikula), 1-0 Roosevelt (23:04, 1st)
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Kellen Obraza (Josiah Atanga), 2-0 Roosevelt (8:38, 1st)
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Isan Roberts, 3-0 Roosevelt (30:30, 2nd)
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Aaron McKinney, 4-0 Roosevelt (4:14, 2nd)
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Ian Mikula, 5-0 Roosevelt (3:38, 2nd)
Contact Jonah L. Rosenblum at jrosenblum@recordpub.com and observe him on Twitter at @JLRSports.
This text initially appeared on Document-Courier: Roosevelt boys, ladies soccer ship MAC Event sweep
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