The Ocean City Nor’easters were happy to welcome teenager defender Roman Holt to the Beach House in 2022. When they did, it represented a new era in the club’s ability to attract elite talent to Ocean City for the USL League Two season.

Holt, a 17-year-old central defender from San Antonio, came to Ocean City from USL Championship side San Antonio FC. He is a product of the club’s youth academy and has managed to work his way up to the senior team. However, as a teenager on a team chasing a championship, it’s tough to find consistent playing time.

With the Nor’easters, San Antonio FC saw an opportunity to give Holt a chance to get some quality experience, especially first-team experience, so they reached out to Ocean City head coach Kevin Nuss.

“Roman is an impressive kid,” said Nuss. “He is mature well beyond his years. His ability on the ball, composure under pressure and his coachability has been outstanding. He has a bright future and we hope Ocean City is a part of that for a number of more years.”

Holt has grown up around the game his entire life, eventually working his way up through the San Antonio FC academy. Earlier this year, he made his professional debut in the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

On April 5, San Antonio FC opened their tournament run on April 5. Holt started and played all 90 minutes in the club’s 3-1 Second Round win over Dallas-area amateur side D’Feeters Kicks. His second game came in the following round and it turned out to be one of the biggest wins in San Antonio FC history. In the Third Round, Holt came off the bench to help close out SAFC’s 2-1 extra time upset over Major League Soccer side Austin FC.

“Going in against Austin was a surreal experience,” said Holt. “Our fans were really into it and we just fed off their energy to keep the ball out of our net.”

Last season, he earned valuable experience playing in two friendlies against Liga MX opposition. He played all 90 minutes against Queretaro, and played the second half against UNAM Pumas.

“I’ve had great experiences playing Liga MX opponents,” said Holt. “Not just getting the opportunity to perform in an SAFC uniform but also to compete and challenge myself against some of the best players in North America.”

After arriving in early May during the preseason, Roman made his OCN debut on June 11 when the Nor’easters traveled to take on Lehigh Valley United. Holt started and played the full 90 minutes. His performance really impressed some of his teammates on the backline in the team’s 3-1 win.

He was really calm and solid with and without the ball,” said Nor’easters defender Nicolas Torres. “He showed composure during the game and gave security to the defensive line. It was his debut and he responded very well.”

Holt returned to San Antonio midseason to play in another friendly against a Liga MX team. He played all 90 minutes in a game against Atletico San Luis.

Since then he has played in three league games, starting one and coming off the bench in the other two. All three games were victories.

“The club has a successful history of providing young players an opportunity at the USL League Two level,” said Nuss. “Roman is another example of that. I’m a huge believer that our training environment provides young players the right balance of freedom and guidance needed to grow and be successful at the highest levels.”

For Holt, as a promising teenage defender, coming to Ocean City, it was a great opportunity to experience a new club, a new coaching staff, and get some valuable playing time.

“This summer has been a wonderful opportunity for me to improve and grow as a player while also being able to compete alongside top players for such a great club,” said Holt. “I believe my experience with Ocean City has positively impacted my growth and will allow me to come back to San Antonio with plans to contribute to the team.”