Emma Romach does not say much at practice. She is not the loudest voice during drills, and she does not look for attention between reps, but when the ball is in the air, everyone on the field knows who is going after it.
Romach, who played both wide receiver and corner back last season, recorded 16 interceptions. Romach ability to read passes and make plays has made her one of the most reliable players on the Cortland women’s flag football team.
Sam Toscano, an all-star wide receiver on the team, describes Romach as “awesome.”
“She has amazing hands and is an absolute ball hawk on defense. If she’s covering you, just know you’re cooked,” said Toscano.
Toscano said Romach has consistently shown up in big moments throughout the season, but her impact goes beyond statistics.
“We call her ‘silent but deadly’ because while she’s not the most vocal leader, she leads by example in the best way,” Toscano said. “She brings a calm, genuine energy to the team and always plays with heart.”
Coach Robert Haberger said Romach’s leadership style has been clear since the beginning.
“She 100% leads by example,” Haberger said. “She isn’t one to trash talk or even say much during the course of a game or even at practice. She just goes out on the field and does her thing, offense, defense, doesn’t matter, she’s going to go out there and show everyone watching that she’s a beast on the field.”
When Romach first joined the program, she did not expect it to become as competitive as it quickly did. She originally thought it would be a smaller club experience, playing mostly local teams and enjoying the sport after classes. Instead, the team made a championship run in its inaugural season.
Romach and the team came up short in their inaugural year, losing to the College of Staten Island after a hard-fought season.
“It definitely sucked,” Romach said. “But it was an amazing experience for our team, especially since we are just a club sport. I think it really helped everyone realize how good we are and what we’re capable of.”
Last year’s run changed her mindset and helped build her confidence.
“At the start of last season I didn’t have a lot of confidence in myself,” Romach said. “But once I figured out how things worked and realized that I could play with the other girls and really be on the team, my confidence started to grow.”
Since then, her position on the team has expanded. Haberger said Romach has taken on a bigger role offensively while maintaining her defensive presence.
“She has taken a bigger role in our offense, not just defense,” Haberger said. “That’s been a big change for her, playing both offense and defense, and she seems to be enjoying that new role.”
Romach said she embraces that challenge.
“I try and improve on something each practice,” Romach said. “Especially this season since I’m now on offense and defense, learning both and keeping up with new plays has been a challenge.”
Her teammates notice the consistency.
“Emma is such a big part of our team and all of us can count on her for anything,” all-star running back Mac Wood said. “We know that she is going to do her job and she’s going to do it well. Her work ethic is incredible and she is so reliable.”
Wood described Romach as “powerful, disciplined and persistent,” while Toscano called her “relentless, dependable and composed.”
Even though she is one of the quieter members of the team, Romach has become someone younger players can look up to.
“For myself, I try and keep a positive attitude during practice and encourage my teammates to keep going even if they mess up,” Romach said. “And hold myself accountable for mistakes I might make.”
As the team prepares for another season, Romach remains focused on growth.
“It was a really good feeling knowing that people see how hard I work and seeing it translate onto the field,” Romach said. “It makes me want to keep getting better and proving myself more and more.”
She may not be the loudest voice on the field, but for Cortland, Romach’s impact speaks clearly enough.