Roza Stars Again as Martyrs Prevail in Penalty Kicks

Three misses in their first six tries had left the NAC in a vulnerable position. When the forward from San Paolo drilled his kick it seemed for a moment that the Martyrs’ victory as well as their season had been snatched away from them. Rev. Andrew Roza (Diocese of Omaha), however, had a different idea. Sprawling to his right, Roza parried the ball to the crossbar. It was the first of three brilliant saves that led his team to victory: a win that has the Martyrs headed towards their second playoff berth in two Clericus Cup seasons.

Saturday’s game, the sixth contest of the year, was much like any other for the men in red. Having started strong, with poise and class, they worked the ball around the field. “It’s great to see our development,” offered player-coach Daniel O’Mullane (Diocese of Paterson, year II), “we were your typical brute force American athletes last year, but this year we can pride ourselves on being calciatori (soccer players).” A momentary lapse in defense, however, led to an early defecit. That was nothing new for the NAC, who, with the exception of their 4-0 trouncing of the French, have held leads for a total of three minutes the entire tournament.

An equaling tally was not far behind. After quality chances on both sides of the field, the ball found O’Mullane just outside the box. With a subtle move to elude a defender the ball was fired into the top left hand corner of the goal, and the boys on the hill (the Janiculum) had drawn even. Brimming with confidence, the Martyrs finished the half strong, though they could not scratch out another mark.

The second half seemed to be a different story for the men in red. For the large part they seemed to play back on their heels, and were out-hustled by Saint Paul’s squad. A handful of quality chances for the Martyrs’ attack went begging, but the defense closed the door on their opponents to keep the score level. Remarkable saves from Roza, named Mitico (mythical) by the tournament organizers, closed out the end of regulation with the score tied at one. Makes and misses were tallied in penalties leading up to Roza’s incredible run.

The NAC seems to be heading to the playoffs after the Penalty-kick win, provided predictable results in next weekend’s matches. A win against Divino Amore will secure 13 points and a three-seed in the highly contested Clericus Cup. Should they want to advance beyond the first round, however, the Martyrs will have to find more ways to score, while limiting their opponents’ early opportunities.