Though the men’s soccer team is only five games into the season, several players are already making an impact.
St. Louis native, and sophomore transfer Mike Roach is heading that list of impact players. His strong play on the field is only matched by the road he took to get here.
“Our offense revolves largely around Mike’s talent and creativity,” head coach Dan Donigan said. Roach has scored four goals in five games for the Billikens, including two in their victory over the University of Loyola Chicago on Sept. 12 at Toyota Park.
But Roach almost never made it to Saint Louis University – he almost never made it to age 18.
In October of his junior year at Chaminade College Prep in St. Louis, Roach suffered a near-fatal car accident. Shortly after midnight, driving about a mile away from his home, Roach’s car hit a rut on the side of a one-lane bridge. Roach overcorrected the wheel, literally flipping his car into a roadside ditch, and very nearly taking his life.
Roach remembers the night all too well. “When they first rushed me to the hospital, the doctor said he didn’t have a good feeling about it. After a few X-rays and tests, the nurse came in and kept telling me I was a really lucky guy.” The Roach family was about to find out just how lucky he was.
“I had broken my neck, and I was two millimeters away from being paralyzed, or dead,” Roach said. “That’s the width of a toothpick.”
The initial 24 hours were gut-wrenching for the Roach family. Doctors visited Roach every 15 minutes, just to make sure he could still move. They knew that at any moment, things could take a turn for the worse.
Today, Roach says, “it’s a miracle I got through it.”
Perhaps equally as miraculous as Roach’s survival was his speedy and complete recovery. Less than a year later, he was on the soccer field again, and earned All-American honors during his senior season at Chaminade.
During the college selection process, Roach had his choice among some of the top programs in the country.
“I wanted to get out of town,” Roach said, and he chose Indiana University as his destination. A year later, Roach was back in St. Louis, wearing the Billiken blue.
His decision to transfer was based largely on soccer: “I needed a change of environment, and SLU was the only place I wanted to go. It’s one of the most historic programs, and I knew I was in good hands with coach Donigan and his coaching staff.”
And Donigan certainly feels his program is in good hands with the young talent of Mike Roach. A leader on and off the field, Roach said he cherishes his value to the team, and understands the importance of hard work and leadership.
“Saint Louis is the right place for me. I wish that I could have come here from the beginning,” Roach said.
Roach is making the most out of his second chances, both in life and on the field at SLU.
Both of Roach’s goals against Loyola Chicago came in the final five minutes of play. The first broke a 1-1 tie; the second sealed the 3-1 victory.
But as he continues to score goals, create plays and lead the Billikens on the field, Roach won’t ever forget the reason he is here, the miracle he pulled through.
