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Photo by: Kelly Hagenson
Romine Braces for the Best
5/31/2023 10:36:00 AM | Soccer
As a transfer, Romine made an immediate impact on the Golden Gopher squad
Last fall, the University of Minnesota soccer team returned to Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium with familiar faces and new ones. One of those new faces was transfer, Sophia Romine.
Romine, who joined the squad after competing with the Wisconsin Badgers for two seasons, brought plentiful experience both on, and off, the pitch for the Golden Gophers and wasn't afraid to make an immediate impact.
"I couldn't have asked for a smoother transition," said Romine. "Everyone is awesome and it never felt like I was a new player. It took time to get comfortable and get those initial nerves out, but everyone around me made me feel comfortable and knew what I was able to do, which helped a ton!"
The Romeo, Mich., native started all 29 matches for the Maroon and Gold, including their game against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Following their first win over Drake, Minnesota wanted to keep their momentum going and luckily, they had Romine on their side of the ball.
In the 14th minute, Romine found herself with the ball at her feet and dribbled down the right sideline, where she found graduate defender Alana Dressely at the top of North Dakota's 18-yard box who netted the first goal of the game.
"I got around the defender and drove to the end line to get a cross for Alana. I was super excited for her! I knew we would keep that momentum going and that was the turning point in the game."
Romine was right, as the Gophers came back out from halftime, she was ready to go.
13 minutes into the second half, Romine received a ball from Sophia Boman 20 yards out. Romine took a chance and launched her first career goal as a Golden Gopher into the upper right corner.
"I got the ball from Boman and knew that if she passed me the ball, I'd get a shot. I have never scored a goal like that before, and it felt good when I made contact with it, I watched it go in and couldn't believe it!"
Ten minutes later, the Maroon and Gold were awarded a corner kick, that bounced in the box. Graduate midfielder Megan Gray serviced the ball to Romine's left foot off her head when she placed it in the bottom left corner.
"The first goal was a great build up to the second goal," said Romine. "I was just thinking 'don't miss,' and to just 'make contact.'"
Despite the Fighting Hawks scoring a goal in the final minutes of the match, it was Romine's offensive edge that delivered Minnesota a win and weekend sweep of its opponents.
The senior credits practice and being consistent to the success she saw in that game, and her immediate impact during the rest of the season. Her performance during the North Dakota match reflected her outlook for the rest of the season.
Romine went on to score three more goals during the 2022 season, including a second brace against Purdue on Oct. 20. She was one of three Gophers to start all 19 matches, racking up 1,244 minutes.
Romine and the rest of the Gophers look forward to the 30th season of Golden Gopher soccer. Keep up with the University of Minnesota women's soccer team on Twitter and Instagram at (@GopherSoccer) and on Facebook so you don't miss any content during the 2023 season.
Romine, who joined the squad after competing with the Wisconsin Badgers for two seasons, brought plentiful experience both on, and off, the pitch for the Golden Gophers and wasn't afraid to make an immediate impact.
"I couldn't have asked for a smoother transition," said Romine. "Everyone is awesome and it never felt like I was a new player. It took time to get comfortable and get those initial nerves out, but everyone around me made me feel comfortable and knew what I was able to do, which helped a ton!"
The Romeo, Mich., native started all 29 matches for the Maroon and Gold, including their game against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Following their first win over Drake, Minnesota wanted to keep their momentum going and luckily, they had Romine on their side of the ball.
In the 14th minute, Romine found herself with the ball at her feet and dribbled down the right sideline, where she found graduate defender Alana Dressely at the top of North Dakota's 18-yard box who netted the first goal of the game.
"I got around the defender and drove to the end line to get a cross for Alana. I was super excited for her! I knew we would keep that momentum going and that was the turning point in the game."
Romine was right, as the Gophers came back out from halftime, she was ready to go.
13 minutes into the second half, Romine received a ball from Sophia Boman 20 yards out. Romine took a chance and launched her first career goal as a Golden Gopher into the upper right corner.
"I got the ball from Boman and knew that if she passed me the ball, I'd get a shot. I have never scored a goal like that before, and it felt good when I made contact with it, I watched it go in and couldn't believe it!"
Ten minutes later, the Maroon and Gold were awarded a corner kick, that bounced in the box. Graduate midfielder Megan Gray serviced the ball to Romine's left foot off her head when she placed it in the bottom left corner.
"The first goal was a great build up to the second goal," said Romine. "I was just thinking 'don't miss,' and to just 'make contact.'"
Despite the Fighting Hawks scoring a goal in the final minutes of the match, it was Romine's offensive edge that delivered Minnesota a win and weekend sweep of its opponents.
The senior credits practice and being consistent to the success she saw in that game, and her immediate impact during the rest of the season. Her performance during the North Dakota match reflected her outlook for the rest of the season.
Romine went on to score three more goals during the 2022 season, including a second brace against Purdue on Oct. 20. She was one of three Gophers to start all 19 matches, racking up 1,244 minutes.
Romine and the rest of the Gophers look forward to the 30th season of Golden Gopher soccer. Keep up with the University of Minnesota women's soccer team on Twitter and Instagram at (@GopherSoccer) and on Facebook so you don't miss any content during the 2023 season.
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