Senior goalkeeper sets program record and makes lasting impact on Miami soccer

Dominique Popa describes her journey to Miami, her growth with the women’s soccer program, and takeaways with the team.

As the 2026-27 women’s soccer season began mid-August, the Miami University RedHawks didn’t start the way they wanted. The team lost three of its first four games, in two of which it didn’t score a single goal. 

But in the fifth game, Miami would have a shutout of its own on a Sunday night at Bobby Kramig Field in Oxford. While the team still had a losing record, that Aug. 30 night changed the program record books. 

The clock was nearly finished after senior forward and midfielder Katie O’Malley scored a late goal to put the RedHawks up 2-0 against the Youngstown State Penguins. After the disappointing first few games, the team anticipated a redeeming victory and was focused on closing out the match.  

When the final whistle blew, the team crowded her. With the win against the Penguins, senior goalkeeper Dominique Popa broke the Miami program record for shutout victories (24). The record marked a huge milestone for the six-foot keeper after coming into the program as a freshman. 

“It’s unreal in a way because I didn’t come in as a freshman expecting for something like that to happen,” Popa said. “It takes a moment of reflecting that I feel super accomplished, and it’s something that I was able to do with the help of everyone.”

While Popa wasn’t immediately set on establishing a program record, she was quick to make the decision to join Miami’s roster and study kinesiology with a minor in nutrition. Within the first two weeks of receiving an offer, Popa committed to a program in which she would create a four-year legacy. 

Head Coach Courtney Sirmans said when Popa visited Miami and the team, Popa shared two things with her: she loved playing soccer, and she wanted to win. The only other experience with the type of competition Popa experienced at Miami was with her family. From fighting over the front seat to arguing that the oldest gets to go first, Popa loved to win. 

“Bringing people in with good character is always first and foremost in our program,” Sirmans said. “Those words are really important to us because we want to win championships here. And so, meeting Dom and her family, it just seemed like a perfect fit. 

Popa has been passionate about playing soccer since she started at five or six. She also grew up playing basketball, but eventually had to decide between the two. She was always known for being the tall kid, so coaches would put her in the goal in soccer games, and she fell in love with it.

Popa would go on to play club and high school soccer at Arundel High School in Gambrills, Md., where she continued racking up saves and shutouts. After serving as team captain of Arundel her junior and senior year, Popa joined the RedHawks with a fresh team and new relationships with coaches and teammates. Still, the transition to college soccer wasn’t easy, especially as she was stepping into the starting goalkeeper position as a freshman.

“There is a weight that comes with stepping into the goal and being in such a big position that you have to deal with adversity and the really strong mentality side of it,” said Roberto Gallegos, Miami’s associate head coach. “For her to come in as a freshman, continue to grow, deal with that position and everything that comes with it, to where she is now and accomplish this (record) is awesome for her and we’re super happy.”

Fortunately, Popa found a community within the team that allowed her to re-enter the team captain status, but now for a Division-1 women’s soccer team.

“I’ve never been able to go in and have such harsh one-on-one conversations that have allowed me to grow as a person on and off the field,” Popa said. “That played a huge role in the success I have today because I don’t necessarily think it’s easy to perform well if you don’t feel like you have people behind you supporting you.”

The internal relations of the soccer team have grown the program into one that is more expecting of a championship appearance. Popa is one of many upperclassmen leaders who have created a winning culture in Oxford. 

Popa said that one of the first games that counted for her was against the Ohio State University Buckeyes her first year, when the RedHawks lost 3-0. Now, the group is putting up fights against opponents like the Louisiana State University Tigers and the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. 

“We talk about championships now as a reality,” said Sirmans. “Where the program was when she committed to where it is now, Dom and her class are a massive part of that.”

Now roughly halfway into the season, Popa looks ahead to her last run for a championship with the soccer team. She has played over 5,000 minutes and has started in at least 17 games in each of her three full seasons with the team. 

Alongside her consistency and permanency with the team, Popa now has a program shutout record to hoist, topping an impressive RedHawk legacy and team impact she will soon be reflecting on. One of Popa’s biggest takeaways from her time with Miami was how to stay disciplined and humble while building trust with the coaching staff. 

“You don’t always see the work everyone’s putting in, but continuing to do it over time when no one’s watching is the biggest thing you can do,” Popa said. “The biggest adaptation I had was being able to trust my coaching staff. I never had that before.”