For Brooke Barna, soccer has been a family affair.

The senior goalkeeper is looking forward to another strong season in the nets for the Rough Riders, as she recorded over 100 saves last season. The Roughies worked their way through a 5-12-1 season under first-year head coach Dave Harth.

Yet, Barna’s rise all began at home.

“I started soccer when I was 4- or 5-years-old,” noted Barna. “I got interested because of my sister Cassie (a 2019 Catty grad). She played soccer when I was younger. and I looked up to her. Seeing her play amazed me.

“While my sister got me into soccer, my father (Paul) was my biggest influence. He didn’t play soccer, but he was my number-one supporter and always striven to help me in any way possible.”

Barna has found a long-standing home in the nets.

“I have been a goalie as long as I can remember,” she added. “I have always been between goal and defense, but it really stuck once I hit middle school.”

Harth has appreciated all of her moments as the Roughies’ goalie.

“Brooke has been an above-average goalie since her sophomore year, making some starts” stated Harth. “Turning into a fantastic player in goal the last two years.

“I wish I could play Brooke in goal and on defense at the same time. She works hard quietly and has evolved into a team leader at the same time.”

Barna knows there are things she needs to elevate in her overall game. She also envisions herself taking on a prominent role.

“For this season I feel like I need to work more on my communication on the field,” she said. “I need to improve on using my site on the field to communicate to my teammates.

“Last season was a big change, but we worked hard and put everything we had out there. I hope to continue to see that hard work to give us a good season this year. Being a senior this season, I want to be a leader and help my team so we can work together and be the best we can possibly be.”