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Women's Soccer
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2011 NCAA College Cup Quotes
12/1/2011 4:58:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Duke Press Conference - College Cup - Dec. 1, 2011
Head Coach Robbie Church 11th Season
Tara Campbell - Jr. - Goal Keeper - Cincinnati, Ohio
Kaitlyn Kerr - So. - Midfielder - Bensalem, Pa.
Head Coach Robbie Church Opening Statement...
We are thrilled to be here. What an exciting venue as it is perfect! From the practice facility to the game facilities. The kids have worked hard all year. We had a goal since August to make it to the College Cup. We have done a lot of things in our program over the last 11 years but we have not made it to the College Cup or played for a National Championship and that has been a goal since we started. We are happy to be here but we are not satisfied to be here. The team is very prepared and they are ready to go.
On being a young team...
Our league is so athletic so you have to have athletic people. We like a certain player. We like a possession type of player and we want the total package, especially at Duke. We offer a world-class education and play in the greatest soccer conference in the country and that has helped bring in the talent needed to compete.
Experience with Wake Forest...
I am honored to be playing them. We have similar student-athletes. It is going to be a war out there as it always is. Its always a tight game and typically a one goal game and have had a number of tie games in the past. A couple of keys will be that we will both get opportunities and you have to take advantage and not let those opportunities go bye. Who controls the 18-yard lines offensively and defensively is going to be huge in this game.
ACC...
It's a tough, tough league to play in, but what you get out of this league. You have seen everything, and we have made some deep runs in the postseason because of what the ACC has done for us. The kids love to play because you are playing against the best players in the county. Coaches love to coach in it because you are coaching against the best coaches in the country. Its nothing but a positive league until you get to the middle of October.
On Katie Stengel...
She is very good. She had a phenomenal freshman year and an even better sophomore year. She is a sniper in the box and doesn't need a high number of opportunities to score goals. She needs one or two chances and will burry her chances. She can finish right footed or left footed and has that sense to finish goals and is just a special player. If she continues to score goal and can do it at the national level she will be a great player for our national team.
Needing a marquee player at the College Cup...
We are going to have a new National Champion this year and that is really good for the game. That send a message to all the 325 teams that play Division I. It used to be that when you played on six or seven teams were going to be in the final four and now it has expanded to 25 or 30.
I knew I wanted to compete for a National Championship, and any school in the ACC has a chance for that. To be competing against schools that are so amazing with so much history is something I thought would be fun. You don't want to play meaningless games. You want to know that you are going into a battle.
On young team...
As a group we have something rare in a back line in the fact that we have had so much experience together. We know each other's tendencies and to know that is excellent, and that helps us be such a strong defensive unit. The advantage that we have now is our experience. We had to come in and play as freshmen and got so much experience being thrown in with the wolves.
Seeing Wake play...
I think it helps us having played them twice already from a scouting point. When you come to the final four and the grand stage and to play a team you have played before and you are familiar with it keeps us grounded.
I think it is going to be a battle like always. We both try to play possession ball and we hope it's a pretty game.
Seeing Wake play...
They know us so well as we know them so I don't think there is any advantage. I think it comes down to who wants it more because we both know how to play.
Players Mentioned
GK
/ Women's Soccer
M
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