2016-17 Women's Soccer Roster

#5 Cari Roccaro 2015-16 Women's Soccer Roster

Midfielder/Defender


Height 5'7''
Class Senior
Hometown East Islip, N.Y.
High School East Islip
Cari Roccaro - Women's Soccer - Notre Dame Fighting Irish

HIGHLIGHTS

  • 2016 NWSL College Draft Fifth Overall Pick (Houston Dash)
  • 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team
  • 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-District V First Team
  • 2015 NSCAA All-America Third Team
  • 2015 All-ACC Second Team
  • 2015 All-ACC Academic Team
  • 2015 NSCAA Scholar All-America Third Team
  • 2015 Top Drawer Soccer Best XI First Team
  • 2015 MAC Hermann Award Preseason Watch List
  • 2013, 2014 All-ACC First Team
  • 2013, 2014 NSCAA All-Southeast Region Second team
  • 2014 NSCAA Scholar All-North/Central Region First Team
  • Notre Dame Tire Rack Student-Athlete of the Week (Oct. 7, 2014)
  • 2013 United States U-20 Women’s National Team
  • 2013 Soccer America First Team MVP (All-American)
  • 2013 Top Drawer Soccer Best XI Second Team
  • NSCAA National Player of the Week (Oct. 1, 2013)
  • CollegeSoccer360.com Co-Primetime Player of the Week (Oct. 1, 2013)
  • Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week (Oct. 1, 2013)
  • 2012, 2013 Notre Dame Monogram Club Team Most Valuable Player
  • 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Champion (United States)
  • 2012 Soccer America National Freshman of the Year
  • 2012 Soccer America Freshman All-America First Team
  • 2012 NSCAA All-Northeast Region First Team
  • 2012 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year
  • 2012 All-BIG EAST First Team
  • 2012 BIG EAST All-Rookie Team
  • Four-year monogram winner
  • Two-time Notre Dame Team Captain

AS A SENIOR: Anchored the Irish back line as one of the nation’s premier central defenders … wrapped an outstanding career with starts in all 20 games to have started all 75 games of her tenure at Notre Dame … began the season as one of 30 players to appear on the MAC Hermann Trophy Preseason Watch List for the top collegiate player in the country … keyed a defense that allowed just 11 goals (0.55/game) and 5.4 shots per game … held opponents scoreless in 12 matches … allowed just three opponents to score two goals in a game (Western Michigan, North Carolina, UConn) … named NSCAA All-America Third Team for her second career All-America honor (2012) … also named to the NSCAA All-Southeast Regiona First Team, All-ACC Second Team and TopDrawerSoccer.com Best XI First Team … became the first Irish Academic All-America First Team honoree since Liz Tucker was named to the first team in 2013 … also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District V First Team and NSCAA Scholar All-America Third Team … earned a monogram … drafted fifth overall in the 2016 National Women’s Soccer League College Draft, going to the Houston Dash.

AS A JUNIOR: Played and started in 18 games in the 2014 season with an average of 1.56 shots per game… totaled 28 shots and 12 shots on goal for the season… racked up goals against No. 5 Virginia (1) and Syracuse (1), which turned into the game-winning goal… had one assist against USC… played a season-high 110 minutes against Boston College (1-1)… named Notre Dame Tire Rack Student-Athlete of the Week (October 7, 2014)… was an All-ACC First Team selection… NSCAA All-Southeast Region Second Team pick… NSCAA Scholar All-North/Central Region First Team honoree… also a third team NSCAA Scholar All-American … earned a monogram.

AS A SOPHOMORE: Soccer America First Team MVP (All-American) … Top Drawer Soccer Best XI Second Team … NSCAA All-Southeast Region Second Team … All-ACC First Team … started 21 matches (missed one contest due to injury), going the distance in 12 outings, including 10 of her final 12 … scoring five goals and adding two assists …ranked third on team in goals, match-winning goals (2) and shots on goal (15-tied), as well as fourth in points (12) and total shots (39) … began season starting in the midfield … played pivotal role in 1-0 win at #1 North Carolina, shadowing UNC’s Crystal Dunn and keeping her off the board, as well as largely reduced to shots from outside penalty area … chalked up season-high four shots against Syracuse (1-0) … moved from customary midfield spot to forward line against #21 Maryland (5-0) and exploded for first career hat trick, converting all three shots she took en route to the first three-goal outing for ND player in nearly two years (Melissa Henderson vs. DePaul in 2011) — also was first hat trick (and most points) by ND player against ranked opponent since 2006 NCAA quarterfinals when Michele Weissenhofer did so against #8 Penn State … tallied second consecutive multi-point match with four-point afternoon (1G-2A) against Pittsburgh (3-0), logging four shots (three on goal) in the process …after combined 10-point weekend (4G-2A) against Maryland and Pittsburgh, earned national honors as NSCAA National Player of the Week, College Soccer 360 Co-Primetime Player of the Week and was part of Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week … returned to midfield role but continued to ring up multiple shots, doing so in nine of her final 12 matches … picked perfect time to get back in the goal-scoring column, netting the lone tally in 69th minute of NCAA Tournament second-round win over Western Michigan (1-0) … earned a monogram.

AS A FRESHMAN: Soccer America National Freshman of the Year … NSCAA third-team All-America selection … Soccer America Freshman All-America choice … NSCAA first-team all-region pick … BIG EAST Rookie of the Year … first-team all-BIG EAST honoree … BIG EAST All-Rookie Team selection … missed first seven matches of season while playing for U-20 World Cup Team … returned to start 16 of remaining 17 matches (sat out regular-season finale at DePaul due to illness), piling up six goals and one assist … played every minute in 11 matches … ranked third on team in goals, total shots (41) and shots on goal (21) … made nearly-immediate impact upon her return from U-20 World Cup, scoring goals in four of her first six matches in an Irish uniform … opened college account with goal in 74th minute and chalked up season-high five shots against Cincinnati (7-0) … netted opening score in 16th minute and tied season best with five more shots (three on goal) against Pittsburgh (2-1) … posted first multi-point outing of career with goal and assist against Oakland (3-0), both in final 21 minutes; also had season high-tying three shots on goal … earned nods as BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and Chicagoland Soccer News Player of the Week for play in Pittsburgh and Oakland wins … potted goal in 57th minute at Connecticut (4-0) … returned from late-season illness with a flourish in BIG EAST Championship quarterfinal vs. Syracuse (1-0), scoring lone goal of day with 12:47 left after running down lead pass from Mandy Laddish … scored first career NCAA Championship goal in second-round win over #10 Wake Forest (2-1), tying match in 59th minute and setting stage for Crystal Thomas’ winning score less than 12 minutes later … tied season high with three shots on goal in NCAA quarterfinal at #7 Florida State (0-1) … continued to blossom during spring 2013 season, assisting on Thomas’ tying goal in 85th minute vs. Mexico Under-20 National Team (4-3), then scoring winning goal in second-half stoppage time … potted match-winning goal in 44th minute against Haiti National Team (2-1) in spring finale … earned a monogram.

NATIONAL TEAM HIGHLIGHTS: One of key contributors for United States Under-20 National Team since 2009, emerging as team’s unquestioned leader as co-captain during past two years (2013-14) … has team-high 30 caps during U-20 career and will play in second FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup (also 2012) after winning 2014 CONCACAF U-20 title … primarily paired with ND classmate Katie Naughton as starting center back duo for United States since midway through 2013 … together, Roccaro and Naughton (plus ND sophomore Morgan Andrews) were members of the USA squad that captured the country’s fourth CONCACAF U-20 Championship back in January in the Cayman Islands …played every minutes as United States outscored its five opponents by a combined 29-0 margin (the first time in six appearances the Americans swept through the CONCACAF U-20 tournament without allowing a goal) … won latest CONCACAF crown with 4-0 victory in title match against a Mexico side that included current Notre Dame sophomore Cindy Pineda … joined in various U-20 camps in 2013 by Naughton, as well as Andrews and another Irish sophomore, Kaela Little … participated in June U-20 camp in Portland, Ore. … played every minute in all five international matches in 2013 — exhibition tour in May/June against Sweden U-20s (3-1) and U-23s (1-0), as well as 12 Nations Tournament in La Manga, Spain, in February 2013 (1-1 vs. Norway, 0-3 vs. Germany, 0-0 vs. Sweden) … along with 2014 ND graduate Mandy Laddish, was part of U.S. squad that won 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title in Japan (Americans’ third crown; first U-20 world championship earned by Notre Dame players since Lauren Fowlkes in 2008) … second-youngest player on American roster, she played in four matches (starting three times) at center back in 2012 WWC, going the distance in all three elimination matches — quarterfinal vs. North Korea (2-1, ot), semifinal vs. Nigeria (2-0) and final vs. Germany (1-0) … joined Laddish in helping United States win CONCACAF U-20 title with five-match sweep in Panama, outscoring opposition by 24-1 margin … started all five matches as a central defender … scored first goal at U-20 level in 6-0 group-play win over Guatemala … part of U-20 side that won 2012 Four Nations Tournament in La Manga, Spain … started final two matches in central defense, part of retaining line that posted three shutouts in as many outings at the event … joined Notre Dame seniors Karin Simonian and Taylor Schneider, and Irish classmates Naughton and Brittany Von Rueden in the 2011 U-18 and 2010 U-17 National Team player pools … was member of U.S. side that was a finalist at 2010 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Costa Rica (had five-match aggregate of 38-0, but missed World Cup berth after falling to Canada on penalties in semifinals following scoreless draw) … started three times and came off bench in a fourth during the 2010 U-17 WWC Qualifier, scoring goal vs. Haiti in opener … played every minute for U-17 National Team at 2010 U-16 Nordic Cup in Denmark (USA won title, outscoring four opponents by a combined 13-1 margin) … wore captain’s armband for 2010 Nordic Cup title match win over Germany … part of 2009 U-15 Girls’ National Team player pool with Naughton and Von Rueden.

WPSL/ODP/CLUB HIGHLIGHTS: On roster for WPSL Elite’s New York Fury and WPSL’s Long Island Fury in summer 2012 … member of ODP Region I Team from 2007-10 and Eastern New York state ODP squad from 2005-10 … played for same Albertson SC Fury club program as Simonian under the direction of head coach Paul Riley (now head coach of NWSL’s Portland Thorns FC) … helped club to pair of Eastern New York state cup titles (2009, 2011), as well as Region I championship (2009) and Region I Premier League first-place finish (2011) … club also earned three National Elite Women’s Soccer Showcase (NEWSS) crowns in 2008, 2009 and 2011, along with the 2009 Jefferson Cup … spent time with Long Island Fury (amateur team in WPSL), pairing with Simonian to help that squad win 2009 WPSL National Championship … two-time NSCAA Youth All-American (2010, 2011) … named to ECNL All-Event Team in Sanford (2011) … ranked fourth in 2012 ESPNHS 150 and fifth in 2012 Top Drawer Soccer club soccer player ratings (five-star ranking; No. 1 in New York region).

PREP & PERSONAL: Graduated from East Islip High School in Islip Terrace, N.Y., playing for head coach Julie Susskind … started all five seasons on varsity (beginning in eighth grade), while serving as team captain her final three years (2009-11) … amassed 39 goals and 19 assists during her prep career, including 11 goals and four assists as a senior in 2011 … led East Islip to New York state semifinals in 2008, following Long Island and Suffolk County Class AA titles … team also won three Suffolk County League III championships (2008, 2009, 2011) … two-time NSCAA High School All-American (2010, 2011) … Parade All-American (2010) … ESPNHS first-team All-American (2010) … Gatorade New York High School Player of the Year (2011) … NSCAA New York State Player of the Year (2011) … three-time all-state selection (2008, 2010, 2011) … Long Island Player of the Year (2011) … three-time all-Long Island choice (2008, 2010, 2011) … two-time Suffolk County High School Player of the Year (2010, 2011) … three-time all-Suffolk County pick (2008, 2010, 2011) … three-time Newsday Player To Watch (2009, 2010, 2011) …three-time all-conference selection (2008, 2010, 2011) … Suffolk County Class AA Finals MVP (2008) … also ran track for two seasons (2008, 2009) in high school, earning two all-conference citations … holds school record in 400-meter dash … won 2009 Suffolk County Division II title in 400 meters … Suffolk County All-League Academic Team (2011) … National Honor Society … member of Girls Leaders Club … full name is Cari Roccaro … name is pronounced “CARE-e row-CAH-row” … daughter of Mary and Tom Roccaro … has older sister, Kristyn, who graduated from Binghamton University in 2014 … one of three New York natives on the 2014 Notre Dame roster, along with Simonian and freshman Meghan Doyle (Niskayuna) … enrolled in Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters as a sociology major … earned certificates of merit for participation in Notre Dame’s Rosenthal Leadership Academy in 2012-13 and 2013-14.

Roccaro’s Career Statistics