During his 24 years at Marquette, women’s soccer head coach Markus Roeders has seen a lot. But until this year, he has never seen what sophomore forward Alyssa Bombacino achieved last month.
The Naperville, Illinois, native made history during the women’s soccer team’s games against Seton Hall and Villanova. She became the first MU player to have hat tricks, or three goals in one match, in back-to-back games.
“As long as I have been here, I can’t remember a player scoring three goals back to back,” Roeders said.
Bombacino, whom her teammates and coaches often call “Bomba,” added a scoring spark when the team was desperately searching for offensive success.
“Obviously I was pretty excited. Seton Hall, I was excited, but Villanova is a really good team so I was even more excited because of that,” Bombacino said. “It was just kind of cool to have them back to back because I would have never expected it.”
Each goal against Villanova came in a significantly different scenario, which Roeders said shows how skilled she is.
“She is someone who is just looking for opportunities and puts herself in right spots at the right time,” Roeders said. “In the 18 (yard box), for her, things might just slow down a little bit.”
Roeders said she sometimes will take an extra touch on the ball to help her score.
The nursing major’s success from this stretch earned her the honor of BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 21. Bombacino has brought plenty of success for MU in the past as well.
Last year the forward started six out of the team’s last seven games, scoring three goals and tallying six points.
Her success toward the end of the season earned the Nequa Valley High School standout a spot on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team.
“I obviously didn’t expect anything coming in, so I thought it was nice getting recognition,” Bombacino said.
Bombacino said she didn’t change much with her game between the 2018 and 2019 seasons, but she honed her skills with her summer team, Team Chicago Academy.
Entering this season, she found herself in a similar role as the beginning of last year: coming off the bench.
Roeders said it was just a matter of time before his staff found a formation that allowed Bombacino to get back into the starting lineup.
“At some point in time she just settled in,” Roeders said. “She is one of those players who are pretty consistent and don’t have many of those down moments.”
Bombacino and Roeders said the team’s current formation brings out her best trait: an attacking mindset.
“I am someone who wants to … take on the defender or take on the chance that is there,” Bombacino said.
“She has that nose to go to the goal. She definitely has an attacking mentality in her game and her play,” Roeders said. “We need attacking and we need goal-scoring, and she is one of those players who can provide while finishing her chances.”
Roeders said he sees his forward as relatively quiet, but in the future, he said he wants her to become louder.
“Her leadership is more on the quiet side,” Roeders said. “It is more of leading by example and just being out there and giving that same consistent effort.”
As the Golden Eagles enter the offseason after falling a win short of making the BIG EAST Tournament, Roeders said he hopes to be able to keep seeing this type of production from Bombacino.
“She is competitive, wants to win, loves to be out there and is in a really good groove right now of her career,” Roeders said. “Hopefully, we can keep sparking that flame.”
