A dedicated ESPNHS team managed this past fall's Gatorade State Girls Soccer Player of the Year selection process, resulting in winners based on the program's three pillars: athletic production and impact in the 2011 season, high academic achievement and exemplary personal character.
For her 21 fellow Gatorade State Fall Girls Soccer Player of the Year winners, click here.
THE WINNER: Cari Roccaro
THE BASICS
School: East Islip (Islip Terrace, N.Y.)
Grade: Senior
Position: Midfielder/defender
Height: 5-foot-6
THE PILLARS
Athletic achievement: Roccaro scored 11 goals and passed for four assists this past season, leading the Redmen to an 11-3-1 record. A First Team ESPNHS All-American, she is also a two-time All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and was named the Long Island Player of the Year. Roccaro is a member of the U.S. Soccer Federation Under-20 Women’s National Team, which is currently competing at the Four Nations Tournament in La Manga, Spain.
Academic excellence: Roccaro has maintained an A average in the classroom.
Exemplary character: A member of the National Honor Society, she has volunteered locally on behalf of a soccer program for children diagnosed with autism.
THE PRAISE
“Cari Roccaro is a great athlete and a total team player,” said Jack Bayer, head coach of Newfield (Selden, N.Y.). “She has great ability and vision and can go almost anywhere on the field.”
THE FUTURE: Roccaro has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at the University of Notre Dame this fall.