A member of New Zealand’s championship winning U-20 side, Rolston’s on-field efforts has seen her not only qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada with her team, but also earn the Golden Boot after knocking four past Vanuatu on Match Day 1.
Speaking after their final match against Papua New Guinea, Rolston, sporting a bulging bruise under her left eye, said she was feeling good despite a bit of a sore head.
“That’s all part of the game,” she said of the physical side of the match.
As for her goal-scoring prowess she says she’s happy with the four goals she netted to earn the Golden Boot, but had hoped to have contributed more to New Zealand’s tally.
“It’s frustrating at times, but I guess that’s the way it goes,” she said.
“We have other people and they’re equally good at finishing and stuff – it’s a good team all round. I mean, there’s always things to work on of course and I think I know what I can do to improve myself, and there’s always coaches to ask so I’m reasonably happy with what I’ve done.”
The 17-year-old is now looking to add a FIFA age-group tournament to her resume after attending the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan in 2012 with New Zealand.
“There’s some things to work as a team and individually, we know what style we want to play so we’ve just got to continuously do that,” she said.
“As for Canada, I’m hoping to make the team first, but if I do go I think it will be an amazing opportunity to score a few goals.”
Rolston scored four goals against Vanuatu on Tueday, 18 February during the Junior Football Ferns 12-0 opening victory at the 2014 OFC U-20 Women’s Championship. Though she couldn’t add to that tally in the two following matches it was enough to earn her the Golden Boot.
Her closest competitors were teammate Martine Puketapu and Papua New Guinea’s Meagan Gunemba, with three goals apeice.