Pre-Tournament Press Conference Quotes
Dec. 9, 2004
MARYLAND
Head Coach Sasho Cirovski
Opening statement:
Well, it's great to be back. I'm really proud of our program. Like I said after our game against St. Johns, it's tough to get here once in a single-elimination competition. When we were expected to be back two years ago, we got back and that was a great honor. This time, when people didn't know what to expect from us, and for us to come through and be back is a testament to our program. But we feel like we have a sense of unfinished business here. In the past two years we haven't showcased our attack in the manor we our capable of. I think we are prepared for the challenge. We know we are going to be playing against a tremendous Indiana team. Indiana knows what it takes to win championships. They are a great defensive team. They are a great counter-attacking team. We feel we are also a great defensive team and great counter-attacking team. I believe it's going to be a great game and a great showcase for college soccer.
On Indiana coach Mike Freitag being in the College Cup his first year:
I think it's a tremendous accomplishment following a legend. They always say it's better to follow the guy who followed the legend. But I think what Mike has done this year has been tremendous. I expected it to be pretty seamless. Mike has been there a total of 19 years. He's as close as you can get to coach (Jerry) Yeagley's passion and Indiana tradition. They have their whole team come back with the exception of Ned Grabavoy and one or two other role players. This is a team that I think is better this year than they were last year and I think coach Freitag has made a tremendous, seamless transition.
In closing:
I would just like to interject a couple of things. First of all, I would like to thank all of you for being here because I think it is something that college soccer needs. There is a good representation of media here. I know a lot of you have traveled a long way. We fly under the radar screen, college soccer does. To see what happened last week in the quarterfinals - a sellout crowd at Maryland, a sellout crowd at Virginia, an unbelievable sellout crowd at Santa Barbara and a sellout crowd at Indiana - four quarterfinals that were sellouts and the atmosphere was great. I think you are starting to see the second wave of growth for college soccer. I think we had tremendous growth in the early 90's. I think we have flown a little bit under the radar in the last couple of years, but I know that for me, as the chair of Division-I coaches for this year and trying to help the game grow, to see that type of support was tremendous. I know we are expecting a good crowd tomorrow and we are looking forward helping this sport grow.
Forward Abe Thompson
On being back in the College Cup for the third time:
It's definitely a great achievement for us to be here for the third time in a row. I think it's a testament to the resiliency of our program - being able to keep winning single-elimination games like we have. But at the same time, it would be nice to get over the hump of the semifinals and make it to the championship game and put ourselves in a position to win it all. So that will be the focus of this go around.
Forward Jason Garey
On the difference in style between Maryland and Indiana:
We haven't watched a lot of tape on Indiana. We played them last year in a spring game and I think their style is very similar to ours. We have a very good defense and very good backs and goalies, and we like to go forward. I'd say we like to attack a little bit more than they do. They are a pretty defensive team. They win a lot of their games, 1-0 or 2-1. We like to attack and we think that's the right way to play soccer. We are best when we are attacking teams and we are playing in their half of the field.
Midfielder/Forward Maurice Edu
On being local and having family members and friends in the stands:
There should be quite a bit. I know my entire family is coming with the exception of my mom. She won't be here because she is out of the country. I have a lot of friends coming from high school. I have a lot of soccer buddies that I played club and high school soccer with.
INDIANA
HEAD COACH MIKE FREITAG
Opening statement:
We are excited to be here in sunny California. The weather is not as nice back home. We are excited to be back here at the College Cup. Last year was a fairy tale season for us. We started out slow and ended up winning it in coach (Jerry) Yeagley's last year and that was exciting. Well it's a new year and I'm at the helm now. The boys have responded very well. It's been an exciting year. We learned our lessons last year to take it one step at a time and that's what we've done this year. I feel we have an excellent team and we look forward to the challenge of playing Maryland on Friday.
On Maryland:
Abe (Thompson) is a young man we recruited. He is a good, big, strong young man. I know he's had some injuries during his career at Maryland, but he is a handful. (Jason) Garey is a young man from Louisiana. I didn't know they kicked it down there. He is a force to be reckoned with as well. Both of them like to get behind you, they are always looking to go to goal and I think they complement each other well.
On how the Maryland forwards matchup with the Indiana defense:
I hope not too well. I think they will be one of the better tandems (Thompson and Garey) we have faced all year and we will have to be at our best.
On being the favorite after winning the championship last year:
I don't know if there is a favorite. This year I think more than any other, there was parity in college soccer. I think you are going to continue to see this trend. There are more and more good youth players out there. The programs are recruiting a good class. I don't think there is a favorite. Once you get here the pressure leaves a little bit. You made it to the dance, now you just have to go out and boogie.
Defender Drew Moor
On his impressions of Maryland:
We have watched a tape of Maryland in the St. Johns game. They are a real good team. I think they stay very organized. One thing we know is that they are a real hard working team. We think that that has a lot to do with our success is how hard we work. Tomorrow night it might just come down to who works harder. We are both very good teams technically - very well coached. Tomorrow is going to be a battle and it's going to come down to who wants it more and who works the hardest for it.
On the transition from coach Jerry Yeagley to Mike Freitag:
I think at times last year, and I'm sure the last couple of years maybe, coach Freitag has done just as much coaching on the field as coach Yeagley. He has been here as a player, as a graduate assistant, as an assistant and now as a head coach. He has done a great job in his first year.
Midfielder Danny O'Rourke
On the Indiana/Maryland match being compared to the championship:
Some people might think that, but we are both trying to make it to the final on Sunday which is the most important. Maryland has been here the last three years, this is their third year in a row. We've been here three out of the last four. So yeah, it is two perennial powerhouse teams, but whoever wins that game will be playing on Sunday in the finals so that is most important. I'd say the match is going to be a physical game. It is two very good teams like Drew (Moor) said are organized. They have a great offense. They score a lot of goals. We have a great defense so I think it will be a great battle.
On the transition from coach Jerry Yeagley to Mike Freitag:
Coach Freitag has always done all the dirty work. He did a lot of the recruiting and a lot of the other stuff. He did a lot of the training sessions. He is probably one of the most knowledgeable coaches in the country. To have the easy transition from coach Yeagley to another great coach, it makes it easy on the players.
Goalkeeper Jay Nolly
On the transition from coach Jerry Yeagley to Mike Freitag:
There really hasn't been much change. We have the same principles; we just have a new guy to look up to. Everybody has always looked up to coach Freitag as it is, but now he's the head honcho. We are getting good results.
DUKE
Head Coach John Rennie
Opening statement:
I hope someday out here we get to play soccer. It seems like we are in the hurry up and wait mode and the players are handling that the best they can. We just would like nothing better than to get the games started and let the players decide who is going to win.
On UC Santa Barbara:
We played them last year. They have some big strong guys and we have some big strong guys. I think both teams are going to go at it and on a stage like this I think the players want to put their best foot forward as a team and as individuals. I just expect it's going to be a great game.
On UC Santa Barbara's reputation as a physical team:
We haven't played this team this year. Our game last year in North Carolina was a hard fought, intense game, but a lot of our games are. So we are going in expecting the intensity and passion we see when playing Virginia at Virginia or Maryland at Maryland. We are more worried about us than we are about anything else.
On the strength of this team:
I think the biggest strength of this team is the balance of it. I think our leading scorer has 10 goals and the next guy has nine. We don't have a 20-goal scorer, but we have a lot of guys who have scored game-winning goals. We have a midfield that can do a little bit of everything, and our defense as a team has been strong. It's really the best balanced team that I've had since 1995. We can defend, we can play, we can score. We're not maybe the best at any of those, but we are very well balanced.
Goalkeeper Justin Trowbridge
On Duke's game with UC Santa Barbara last season:
As coach mentioned, they are physically strong. Last year was a great game. We're a different team and we're looking forward to playing them this year. As coach said though, we are more focused on ourselves and playing our game. We play in one of the most physical conferences in the country. We play a top-15 team every weekend so it will be no different than playing a tough conference opponent.
Midfielder Blake Camp
On coach John Rennie's NCAA Tournament experience:
All of the guys on the team do feel a certain sense of pride and recognize that (being in the College Cup) is something that contributes to the milestone for coach Rennie. Because he has been here so many times, the most important advice he has given us, is that he keeps reiterating the fact that we need to focus on one game and one game alone. As a player that is what I and the rest of my teammates are here to do.
UC SANTA BARBARA
Head Coach Tim Vom Steeg
Opening statement:
We are certainly excited to be here. We are excited, in this case, to represent the West Coast. This is a tremendous facility and it's a tremendous place to play. It's a real thrill for us. At the same time, I think we have always been a very focused group. We have a great group of seniors who I think are committed to trying to figure out how to win two games this weekend. Like I said, we are excited and enjoying the experience, at the same time I think we are all looking forward to playing Friday night against a very good team.
On the 11,000 in attendance at last week's quarterfinals in Santa Barbara:
By all estimations we thought if we were able to get 6,000 or 7,000, I thought that was something we were kind of expecting. I don't think the last people got into the stadium at right about half time - they just kept coming and coming. We fell behind 1-0. It was one of those games where the whole place kind of went quiet. We tied the game up and then we got the second, then of course we broke out with two late goals. That just really brought the place down and (the fans) found a lot of creative ways to celebrate that night.
On whether it's a bad wrap that his team is considered too physical:
I think it is in a way. We haven't changed how we've played since I've been the head coach. I think the only difference was that this year we went back east and played three very hard teams on the road. I don't think those teams like to lose, especially at home. They said a few things that maybe if we get through to Sunday we will use as bulletin board material. But in general, we play an aggressive style. We attack as a team and we don't let them play. It has always been fair and it's always been clean. It has what has gotten us here and we are not going to change how we play whether we go on the road or at home. I would say that most of the people who do see us play appreciate the fact that we play very hard and how committed our players are to winning the game.
Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy
On whether it's an advantage being the only West Coast team:
I definitely think we expect a pretty good fan following. I know up at school a lot of kids are talking about it. In our last game our community got behind us tremendously. We expect a lot of people to be making the trip down south. There has definitely been a little bit of a buzz about us and everyone is really excited. But again I think everyone is excited for us to win a national championship and not just to be set on the final four.
Midfielder Nate Boyden
On the crowd at last week's quarterfinals in Santa Barbara:
It was quite an atmosphere at Harder Stadium. I think we have one of the best stadiums in the nation and to just about fill that up really was a rush for all of us. I think for some of those fans it was probably their first soccer game ever. I think they had a good time too and they enjoyed it. The atmosphere was great. We will probably get more fans out there this weekend. Whether or not the atmosphere is as good doesn't matter to us. We are going to provide the energy and it's not going to change our game and what we do on the field.
Forward Drew McAthy
On their team being the underdog:
I wouldn't necessarily say we are an underdog. Santa Barbara is not really used to being in the College Cup. We went back and we beat Indiana, we beat UConn, we beat Seton Hall - three teams that usually are more favored to make it to this point. I don't really think there are any favorites here. I think it is four very good teams and I think it is going to be a couple good games.
Forward Jonathan Davis
On how well UC Santa Barbara matches up with Duke:
I think we matchup great actually. We have tons of skill up top. We have a core of very experienced players - two seniors and myself a junior. We are going up against two freshmen and a junior. I think we match up pretty good with them.