Post Game Quotes

Dec. 10, 2004

Maryland Quotes

Junior forward Jason Garey

"That's the way soccer goes, in cycles. One team dominates and then it switches and the other team dominates. No team dominates the whole game"

Junior defender Kenney Bertz

(on the uniqueness of Indiana)
"Indiana's history makes them unique. They are hardworking, honest and disciplined. Their back to front brings lots of pressure."

(on the final goal)
"It was a heck of a ball that was put in the box and a heck of a play to put it in the net."

(on the third year being knocked out)
"I don't think it hurts any more then any of the other times, but it definitely hurts with just 0:40 seconds left on the clock. But we've made it here four years in a row, and not many other teams can say that. We'll win one eventually; it's just a matter of time."

(summing up the season)
"We started on fire and then had a lapse for four games. People started to question the direction Maryland was going, but we met and turned things around. Only four teams can be here, and any number of teams in the country would love to be where we are today. It's not a failure by any means."

Head Coach Sasho Cirovski

"It was the best college game I have seen since the 1995 Virginia/Duke championship game. It was a great game tonight."

"We have a banner that says 'Play like champions,' and tonight we had to outplay the champions, and we fell short. If you have to lose, lose on a big time goal, and that's what happened tonight. At the end of they day they made more plays then we did."

"All you can ask is for your players to bring respect to the name on the front and the back of your jersey and they did that tonight."

(on seeing the final goal go in)
"I felt pure emptiness."

(on controlling tempo)
"We had good moments controlling the tempo in the first half but fatigue became a factor in the second half."

"To score two goals on Indiana is no small feat, and I'm proud of how we played tonight."

"It was a beautiful soccer game, and if this where college soccer is going, it's on the right track."

Indiana Quotes

Sophomore midfielder John Michael Hayden

(on the winning goal)
"Danny received the ball, and he put it up where I could get my head on it. ...pure excitement, chaos. It was a great feeling."

Junior midfielder Brian Plotkin

(on what the coach said to the team at halftime)
"Coach told us about settling down and playing our game."

Junior forward Mike Ambersley

(about the win)
"It's a huge weight off my shoulders.

(about coming back in the second half)
"Fitness has a lot to do with it. I think we are the most fit team in the country. ...In the first half we were a bit tentative."

(On senior midfielder, Danny O'Rourke)
"Danny is one of the top players in the country. I wish him the best of luck."

Head Coach Mike Freitag

(on coming back in the second half)
"I think Johnny (John Michael Hayden) hit the nail on the head when he said 'confidence.' I'm a very positive thinker. We were winning balls. They believe. They work hard. They never give up."

(on what he said to the team at halftime)
"I thought we were tentative in the first half. I kept telling my players to think positive. I asked them to kick it up a few notches. I told them you played alright, but you can play better."

(on the game)
"It was two outstanding programs that left it out on the field."

(on Mike Amberseley)
"Mike did struggle a little bit this year. He adds to our team by holding on to the ball. I'm very proud of him."

(on the midfielders)
"Brian Plotkin is a very talented player. Our three midfielders have engines that don't quit."