Springfield’s ‘Shoot for a Cure’ game hits home

Springfield’s ‘Shoot for a Cure’ game hits home

By JOE SCALZO

Vindicator sports staff

NEW MIDDLETOWN — Springfield High girls soccer coach Bob Rohrman stood on the sideline for Monday’s game decked out in a pink “Shoot for a Cure” T-shirt and a pink headband.

Rohrman bought the shirts last March. He did some research online and decided he’d like to dedicate one game toward promoting breast cancer awareness.

Two of his wife’s aunts had the disease and over the past few years it’s become common for girls teams — particularly in volleyball — to help the cause.

Then, on June 28, his 20-year-old daughter, Breanna, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“It took on a whole new meaning for me personally after that,” Rohrman said. “It’s tough. It’s scary. But she’s got a real good faith and we have a good faith and that helps a lot. It keeps us going.

“When your mother gets cancer or your wife gets cancer, it’s tough. But when it’s your kid. ... It’s terrible, it’s horrible. But you stay strong for her. You take care of what you can do and take her to the best treatments you can get her.”

Sixty feet away, up in the bleachers, Breanna watched Monday’s game, surrounded by three rows of friends and family, all wearing pink shirt with the name “Breanna” on the back.

Breanna had her first surgery in late July. Afterward, they found cancer in the lymph nodes, necessitating a second surgery in mid-August. Her lymph nodes, so far, are clear.

She had her first chemotherapy treatment two weeks ago and will have her second today. If everything goes as planned, she’ll finish treatment just after Christmas and resume engineering classes at YSU next semester or next fall.

“I was completely shocked,” said Breanna, who played soccer for her father at Struthers before graduating in 2006. “Never in my life did I imagine I’d have cancer, let alone at this age.

“I was so fortunate they found out with the testing they did on me. It could have spread. Who knows what could have happened?

“I’m not really scared. It sucks, but I’m going to get through it. It’s going to be in the past by this time next year.”

The Tigers, who played Youngstown Christian on Monday, broke their huddles with “1-2-3 Breanna!” to start the game and wore pink shirts and pink headbands.

Junior varsity players roamed the stands selling pink headbands and bracelets. The 50/50 raffle was worth $77, but winner Randy Ohlin donated it right back. At halftime, about 50 students participated in a charity penalty kick.

YCS helped, too. Coach Lynda Ott held a bake sale, sold T-shirts and collected donations.

“We did what we could,” Ott said, shrugging.

Ursuline's junior varsity team, which played Springfield before the varsity game, also helped sell T-shirts and donated money to the cause.

All told, they raised nearly $1,500, giving them a victory off the field.

Springfield got a victory on the field, too, as Nicole Siciliano scored two goals and Lexy Zubick had the game-winner (with 13:48 left to break a 2-2 tie) and an assist en route to a 4-2 victory.

“It was a good win and we played well,” Rohrman said. “It was a great night.”

Jaclyn Tabaka also had a goal and an assist for Springfield (5-3-4), while Tiffany Johnson had eight saves.

Schanvel Wall and Rashida Strozier scored for YCS (8-4-1) and Kristi Cooper had an assist.

Monday’s game was just one part of a bigger picture, of course.

October is breast cancer awareness month and area volleyball teams will hold their “Volley for the Cure” games. Every high school in Ohio is encouraged to dedicate one home match each season to promote breast cancer education, awareness and fundraising — many did so in September, too — and similar games in other sports are becoming more common.

NFL fans this weekend also noticed pink ribbons on the field and pink gloves, wristbands and cleats on the players.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer found in women, but because of the increased funding and advances in treatment, the outlook (if detected early) is good.

The irony is, Breanna’s grandfather died of pancreatic cancer and there was a time when she wished more funding was devoted to that cause.

“Now I’m extremely grateful there has been so much put into breast cancer research,” she said. “I’m fortunate they have so much knowledge about it.

“It’s funny. I always complained about having to go to school and now I’d rather be there, for sure. I’m just kind of taking it one day at a time.”

scalzo@vindy.com