The Paladin has tabbed women’s soccer junior forward Norah Roller as Athlete of the Month for September 2025.
Roller is a junior and a native of Birmingham, Ala. She was recruited out of high school to come to Furman and went on a visit her junior year. Roller said that the “beautiful campus” and coaching staff drew her to Furman.
Her favorite thing about Furman outside of soccer is the school’s community.
“That’s honestly what I like about Furman the most — that it’s kind of small and everyone kind of knows each other,” Roller said.
In September, Roller contributed five goals, leading the team. Usually, Roller has come off the bench as a “super-sub” who only goes in and gives it their all for 15-minute periods. However, several of Roller’s teammates have been injured, giving her the opportunity to play for much longer and even start several games.
“I didn’t really think I would ever be like a starter or anyone that would play minutes like this,” Roller said. “Oftentimes, I think when I’m on the field and there’s someone else on there who has done that before, I kind of take the backseat and just let them go and play ball to them.”
The Southern Conference honored Roller as Offensive Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 14 in 2024.
The Paladin women’s soccer team was on a tear in September, going undefeated in the month with a 4-2-0 record.
The team also upset Southern Conference tournament favorite Western Carolina on Sept. 26.
Roller described the Western game as a memorable one. The benches at Western Carolina have an awning over them, and Furman’s team was banging on the awning to make as much noise as possible.
“The ref had to tell us to calm down. It was amazing,” Roller said. “And then Maddie Massey scored, and everyone went crazy.”
Southern Conference play is very important for the team, as it will help decide seedings for the conference tournament. The winning team gets an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.
“Right now, obviously, we’re trying to win the SoCon season. And honestly, if you win the season, or if you win the tournament, you get a ring,” said Roller.
According to Roller, the team has bonded naturally this season. The team chemistry is clear on the field — 11 different players have assists, and 12 have at least one goal.
Roller hopes her legacy in the program is not reflected in her performance, but rather the experiences and relationships she has built with her teammates.
“It’s not all about winning and losing, but it’s about having fun and being with your friends and also working hard when you can,” Roller said.
While she doesn’t have any pregame superstitions, Roller does two key things before games to mentally prepare herself.
“I like to play the New York Times Connections before the games and the Strands and stuff because I feel like a part of me gets in my head too much before a game,” Roller said. “I like playing the Connections and stuff that makes me think but in a different way.”
For most home games, Roller walks the field before the game and visualizes herself scoring a goal.
“It’s really silly when you think about it, but it’s visualizing yourself scoring a goal. And before, sometimes the locker room gets kind of loud, we have to wait in there for a while. So, I like to go outside and eat something like a banana or look at the field,” Roller said.
The Furman women’s soccer team will continue conference play with their final regular season game on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. They will play at home against The Citadel. The first round of the Southern Conference tournament will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 28, and the Paladins’ opponent is still to be determined.
