Roosevelt Soccer Sweeps MAC Tournament Titles at Dix Stadium

Kent’s Dix Stadium, traditionally the home of Kent State University football, served as the backdrop for a high school soccer milestone on Oct. 14 when Theodore Roosevelt High School claimed both the boys and girls Metro Athletic Conference tournament championships. The Rough Riders defeated Streetsboro 4-1 in the girls final before blanking Tallmadge 5-0 in the boys title match, completing a sweep that validated undefeated regular-season conference runs for both programs.

The doubleheader marked the inaugural MAC soccer tournament, an event designed to give the league a postseason championship structure common in larger Ohio conferences. Hosting the matches at a collegiate venue drew alumni, youth club players, and supporters from across the conference’s member schools, elevating the atmosphere well beyond a standard regular-season fixture.

For Roosevelt, the trophies ended a decade-long drought. The boys secured their first outright league championship since 2014, while the girls captured their first conference crown since 2017. Both squads entered the tournament having navigated the MAC regular season without a loss, setting up the Oct. 14 finals as a formality rather than a gamble.

Tactical execution defined the night more than raw athleticism. Five of Roosevelt’s first six goals across both matches originated from crosses delivered into the penalty area, a deliberate strategy cultivated over multiple seasons by the coaching staffs. Girls head coach Sammy Spicer credited the wide attacking patterns to five years of repetitive drilling focused on end-line runs and back-post positioning.

Sophomore Stella Haines capitalized twice on that system against Streetsboro, scoring in the seventh minute off a cross originally intended for Molly Flynn and adding a second goal midway through the first half from a delivery by sophomore Carleigh Wiler. Junior Maggie Pazderak extended the lead to 3-0 shortly after, finishing a ball sent in by her cousin, Audrey Haines. Streetsboro’s McKenzie Montgomery converted a penalty kick early in the second half, but Sammi Maccarone sealed the 4-1 result with less than five minutes remaining.

Pazderak suffered a knee injury during the match, casting a shadow over the girls’ celebration. Spicer described the mood as somber despite the trophy, given Pazderak’s central role in the team’s attacking dynamics. Knee injuries in high school soccer frequently sideline players for extended periods, often complicating postseason runs.

The boys’ 5-0 dismantling of Tallmadge featured goals from five different players, underscoring a depth advantage that has fueled a seven-game winning streak encompassing six shutouts. Callaghan Knapp opened the scoring in the 23rd minute after Ian Mikula drove to the end line and played the ball back into the center of the box. Eight minutes later, junior Kellen Obraza finished a one-touch strike off a left-side run by Josiah Atanga.

Atanga’s involvement highlighted a tactical shift by boys co-coach Nathan Harris. Normally deployed as a defensive midfielder in the No. 6 role, Atanga was pushed higher into the No. 8 position to generate midfield aggression against Tallmadge. The adjustment freed him to influence the attack while maintaining his two-way range.

Isan Roberts, Aaron McKinney, and Mikula added second-half goals to complete the rout. The boys now advance toward the Ohio High School Athletic Association state tournament, where conference dominance historically translates into favorable regional seeding. Roosevelt’s last deep OHSAA playoff push coincided with its previous era of league success in the mid-2010s.

The MAC, which realigned in recent years to group similarly sized Northeast Ohio schools including Field, Streetsboro, Tallmadge, and Norton, introduced the centralized tournament format to increase competitive stakes late in the fall schedule. Unlike leagues that rely solely on regular-season standings to determine champions, the tournament model mirrors formats used by the Suburban League and Federal League, giving teams a distinct postseason target.

Both Roosevelt squads will carry their conference hardware into OHSAA sectional play. The state tournament brackets for Division I through Division IV were finalized earlier this week, with opening-round matches scheduled across Northeast Ohio districts beginning Oct. 20.