Games People Play: Ocean City’s Kristi Rohrer Excels as Three-Sport Athlete

Ocean City attack midfielder Kristi Rohrer netted her 100th career goal last week for the Red Raider lady lacrosse team.
A three-sport athlete who has also competed in soccer and indoor track, the 18-year-old thrives on being a good teammate and working together for hard-fought victories.
The daughter of Kirk and Antoinette (Fusco) Rohrer, Kristi uses every ounce and inch of her 5-3, 120-pound frame to meet the demands of the field, the pitch and the track. Mom is naturally proud of her child’s achievements but derives the most enjoyment from Kristi’s love of the games she plays.
“It shows on the field,” said Antoinette. “She has such a good and fun time on the fields with her teammates who are also her friends. As an athlete, I am most proud that she is respectful and a very coachable player. She always gives 100 percent and she never quits. She stays with something until she masters it. She was team co-captain and I’ve had numerous parents of younger and newer girls on the team tell me how great Kristi treated their daughters.”
An avid runner, Kristi finds it most challenging to recover from mistakes in the heat of battle. “It’s so important to not get down on yourself when you make a stupid mistake out there,” said the Upper Township resident. “You must be able to keep playing like nothing happened.”
Rohrer credits her scoring prowess to her teammates.
“What I like best is being a part of a team and the feeling I get after my squad gets a well-deserved win,” said the Honor Roll student. “I really couldn’t have scored so many goals without my amazing team. It took hard work, dedication and determination.”
Since her rookie season four years ago, Rohrer, who is headed to Widener University to study criminal justice and play lacrosse, has gotten faster and more aggressive while continuing to work on her overall game.
“There’s always room to improve,” she said. “I still have some work to do on getting my left hand just as dominant as my right.”
Rohrer, who grew up with dance, cheerleading, softball, and basketball, set a goal for her lacrosse team to reach the second round of the South Jersey playoffs, which the Red Raiders achieved after defeating Toms River South, 11-5, in round one of the Group 3 competition. The Ocean City season ended at an impressive 18-4.
“Our goal was to reach the second round of the playoffs, which we accomplished,” said Rohrer, a Sea Isle lifeguard. “This season was one to remember because we worked so well together and broke team and personal records. One of the secrets to our success is we are such good friends off the field. We had so much fun traveling to Disney for spring break and winning both of our games there and then coming home and finishing our season with 18 wins.”
Ocean City set school marks with 13 consecutive wins and 18 total victories
Rohrer was a key contributor with her outstanding speed and competitiveness as an outside midfielder for coach Kelly Halliday’s Lady Red Raider soccer team. OC captured CAL soccer crowns in 2013 and ’14.
“We’re really going to miss her,” said Halliday. “She was always one of the fittest and fastest players on the field. We used to kid with her that she’d just turn on her jet pack. Her speed was unbelievable and she played smart. She did whatever it took for the team to succeed. She gave it her all every single game.”
Rohrer said she enjoys soccer because of the physical nature of the sport.
“I actually like how physical soccer is,” she said. “It’s a lot different than lacrosse because in lacrosse you can’t really touch girls without it being a penalty. In soccer it’s very physical and aggressive and I really like that.”
She ran the 55 meter sprint, the 200 meters, and the 55 meter hurdles for three years with the indoor track team. She took this winter off to prepare for her final year of high school lacrosse and to hit the gym for strength training.
Rohrer is a third-generation Red Raider. Her final year in Ocean City happens to be the 50th anniversary of her grandparents’ graduation from the school. Jimmy Fusco and Carol (Long) Fusco will be honored on the field when Kristi graduates next month.
As a seasoned student-athlete, she offers this advice to underclassmen about her scholastic experience.
“Don’t blink because it goes by so fast,” she said. “Always work hard in everything you do and never give up. Always listen to your coaches and always keep improving on your game. Work hard and try your best in school because it is very important in the long run.”
Rohrer took her role as lacrosse team co-captain very seriously.
“I am approachable and it’s very important for the girls to feel comfortable being able to talk with me about anything,” she said. “Mikala Gillespie (the other captain) and I made sure we were very easy to talk to and were always there for the girls whenever they needed us.”