Familiar faces in different places, ability ‘to adapt’ key to Roeper’s success

BIRMINGHAM — Like it or not, sometimes the best thing for a team is to be in a position they’re not necessarily comfortable with.

That’s why, for Bloomfield Hills Roeper boys soccer head coach Ed Sack, it’s about getting his players adjusted to different roles that he feels can be both advantageous for the player and the team.

“I’ve played our kids everywhere on the field, and they’re OK with that,” Sack said. “They’re OK with taking on a role that best suits the team no matter where it is on the field. I’ve probably had eight different kids on defense at least. They’re used to playing in different spots.”

Take senior goalkeeper Hollis Perry, who’s never played soccer before in his life prior to this season, or sophomore Henry Billings, who scored a goal over undefeated Allen Park Inter-City Baptist to clinch Roeper back-to-back Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue league titles.

“I’ve had to take the role of more of a goal scorer or attacker, trying to beat players one-on-one to score,” Billings said. “That’s certainly different for me, and I had a little taste of it last year, but it’s different.”

Or look no further than Roeper’s two senior captains, Matthew and Sam Salinas, who are brothers and one-half of a set of quadruplets with their sisters Natalia and Sofia.

They’re both the poster children for versatility, providing efficient play just about anywhere Sack needs them at.

“We’ve had them both on defense against really strong teams. We’ve had them both on outside midfield or attacking midfield – they’ve literally played all over the field,” Sack said. “It depends on who we’re playing and how we want to try to score. It’s neat because Matt is left-footed and Sam is right-footed, so they sort of complement each other on the wings. I’ve used them everywhere. Matt has been coming up with a lot of big goals lately.”

The point is, Roeper can hurt teams in multiple different ways and has the ability to adjust on the fly with its athletic group of players.

Most importantly, the players are excited to take on the challenge and embody the mentality of being someone who can take a new position head-on or have the confidence to play any position correctly when their number is called.

Prior to the 2024 season, Perry had never stepped foot on a soccer field for a game. It’s never been something his family had him do as a child, but all it took was some persuasion from his friends and Roeper’s need for a goalkeeper after graduating Conor Field last year.

Perry started training with Field and 2024 graduate Finn Axelarris, Roeper’s primary goal scorer in 2023, in the summer. It started with the basic fundamentals, or as Perry would say, “how to go for a ball and not look stupid doing it.”

Once Roeper’s captains’ practices started, it quickly became goalie-oriented for the varsity second baseman, who worked with his now-teammates on preparing to be the starting keeper, which also required the team serving an array of shots towards him in net.

But being a natural athlete and having the coordination of a middle infielder, Perry said it made the transition smoother.

“The thing I think it helped the most with was with my hands, getting them to where the ball is and catching,” Perry said. “It’s obviously a little bit different because I had to get used to it, especially in the beginning, using both of my hands and not just throwing my left hand out to stop the ball. A lot of it is just hand-eye coordination where they’re shooting the ball really fast and you have to react based on instinct. I felt that from second base, and the side-to-side movement.”

Having a backline consisting of Sam Salinas, seniors George Saade, Ayman Yuhas and junior Leif Axelarris, Finn’s younger brother, can make any transition smooth, helping Perry face only a pair of shots in his first three games, ending in clean sheets and a 3-0 record to start the year.

But as Perry’s confidence grew, it showcased a similar feeling the rest of Roeper soccer was giving off as well.

Guys like Billings and junior Kal Vanderhoek, who both stand around 5-foot-4 and 110 pounds, really came into their own this season to pace an offensive effort that’s scored just under three goals per game.

“They are the lifeline of our offensive development,” Sack said. “They’re exceptional with the ball and pass with great weight and accuracy. They’re both super small, but they’re really hard to get the ball away from.”

Roeper is currently 12-3-1 on the year and set to face Southfield Manoogian in the first round of districts Oct. 10 at the UWM Sports Complex in Pontiac. The Roughriders are currently ranked No. 15 in Division 4 soccer.

Roeper last won a district championship in 2018 and was state champion in 2014, but Sack said he sees a difference to the team this year in the way they carry themselves as a group.

“They’re developing as a team,” Sack said. “That’s something we’ve been working on all year long with trying to create excitement. They’re great at supporting each other, but there’s something to be said for a team that gets excited to play together. Earlier in the year, we would react to what the other team did whether they scored on us early or if they were physical. Slowly, we’re getting more proactive and setting the tone in the game, getting excited to lift each other up.”