Rowan Hallahan has basically gone through life with a soccer ball at his feet.

That's what happens when you grow up in a house where your father coaches soccer, your brothers play soccer and your mother supports the family passion.

"I'm always touching a soccer ball at some point during the day," Hallahan said. "There's soccer balls lying all over my house. … My life revolves around soccer."

Hallahan followed in the footsteps of three of his brothers and became a star at Old Lyme High School. During his senior year, he earned all the major honors, All-Shoreline Conference, all-state for the second straight season and All-New England. He's also The Day's 2014 All-Area Boys' Soccer Player of the Year.

He's the fourth Hallahan to be named all-state, joining Patrick, Sean and Brendan. Steve, his father, is the high school assistant coach.

"He's followed quite a family legacy," Old Lyme coach Marc Vendetti said. "A lot of passion in that family for the game and we've been the beneficiary of the Hallahan clan."

In his three years as a starter, Hallahan helped Old Lyme qualify for the state tournament three times, going as far as the semifinals in 2013.

Hallahan developed into a complete player and a respected leader during his stellar career.

At a sturdy 6-foot-1, he was a force. He controlled the game from his center midfield spot, won the majority of the 50-50 battles and orchestrated the action while displaying composure under pressure and nearly flawless decision-making.

Hallahan finished with 19 goals and 20 assists in 70 career games. Shoreline coaches voted him the No. 1 player in the league this season.

"He's the engine that drives our squad and has for the past two years," Vendetti said. "He's so much on the ball and he's able to do so much with it. … He's a very composed player. That comes from, certainly first and foremost, a lot of experience playing the game. He reads the game so well and understands where he needs to be in a given situation.

"He always looks comfortable on the ball. … He's just a tremendous player."

Soccer is Hallahan's first love. He started kicking a ball at a young age and honed his skills on the family's soccer field in the backyard.

His father passed down his passion for the sport to his six sons.

"It definitely started from my dad," Rowan said. "My dad loves soccer. He's coached me my whole life. He played it his whole life and just transferred that over to us. From an early age, he started getting us into it and we all love it.

"As my brothers played, I wanted to do well like they did. That's how my younger brother (Quinn) feels. That's just a trend."

Hallahan's passion for the sport has never waned. He plays for Southeast Soccer Club when not competing for the high school team.

He looks back fondly on his playing days at Old Lyme. His only mild disappointment was that the Wildcats fell short of their state championship goal this season. But they still finished 14-4-2 overall and reached the Class S state quarterfinals.

He really enjoyed playing with his teammates.

"It was a great season, the most fun of my career," Hallahan said. "It was just awesome."

Now Hallahan is trying to figure out his next step in his education, in the classroom and on the soccer field. He's exploring his college options, a task almost as difficult as scoring off a bicycle kick.

"I'm kind of struggling with that right now," said Hallahan who's considering a career in either civil engineering or construction management. "The whole aspect of college soccer, it adds another aspect to the college search. I could easily find a school that I would like, but I have to find a place to play."

With Rowan moving on, another Hallahan brother already is ready to step in and carry on the family tradition. Quinn, a sophomore, played on the varsity this season.

And don't forget about 2-year-old Niall, who's already dribbling around the house.

Like his brothers before him, Rowan will be missed.

"Rowan is just a special kid, the way he carries himself and the pride that he has in our program and the way he represents our program, his peers and coaches, " Vendetti said. "I just couldn't be prouder of him as a player and a person."

g.keefe@theday.com

Twitter: @GavinKeefe

The Day's 2014 All-Area Boys' Soccer Team

Player of the Year - Rowan Hallahan (Old Lyme)

Forward - Dan Castelpoggi (Waterford), James Foster (East Lyme), Wadlet Jean-Baptiste (New London)

Midfield - Colby Coombs (NFA), Nick Ghirardi (East Lyme), Josh Handler (Montville), Quintin Parsons (East Lyme)

Defense - Brendan Basler (Old Lyme), Nate Delesdernier (East Lyme), Kevin Zeppieri (Waterford)

Goalie - Buddy Dewaine (Montville)

Utility - Andris Vital (NFA)