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Duke and Florida State College Cup Press Conference Quotes
12/3/2015 4:08:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Duke
Opening Statement – Head Coach Robbie Church
Thank you, it's nice to be back. Seems like a long time since we've been here. It's great to be back and great to be back with this team. I've been at this a long time it's such a special group of players, this team set a goal last year. Our 2014 campaign was a disappointing campaign. We were eliminated, ironically at Florida State. At that point, our rising juniors and seniors, they made a pact and goal that they were going to be back at the NCAA tournament and we were going to make a long run in the NCAA tournament. They worked extremely hard and I'm very proud of this group of young ladies. It's probably one of my favorite teams in 35 years. It's been a wonderful season overall for my coaching staff. We've had two new members joining my coaching staff, our long time asst. coach took a head coaching position at the Univ. of Georgia and is doing great there. The new coaches brought a lot of new energy and passion of the game. They had major impact in our program. We went through many changes with this group. We changed completely our training once we got together in August. What our training cycles were as well as what we did in training. Credit to the young ladies who did a phenomenal job to buying in from day one. It's one of those teams that has worked from the beginning of training all the way through. We knew there were questions going into our season, especially at the goalkeeper position. We had a couple goalkeepers that graduated. EJ [Proctor] played some as a freshman and not at a regular basis. She's done an unbelievable job at stepping up and answering that question. She's had a terrific season for us. The main thing we hang our hats on is that we are a very defensive team. Everyone defends with our group. That is not easy at a high level college to get your whole team to buy-in. The one thing that this team has done since the beginning of August to now is they want to win. It's an honor to be here with these three other programs.
On how the team's defensive mindset has developed.
So. GK EJ Proctor: I think last year we conceded more goals than what we wanted to. A lot of the came from focusing on attacking, I think trusting our coaches were telling us. If everyone defends the goals will come, you'll be able to build counter attacks from that. Focus on defending and trust that the attack does come as well. It got a bit tougher when we got into ACC play, how to go from everyone defending to getting enough numbers up to score. As we've gotten into the tournament, I think we've found that again. We still have all 11 players defending as hard as we can. Figuring out how to attack as well as defend has been key for us this tournament.
What changed after the 4-1 loss at Virginia Tech?
Proctor: That's the most goals we've conceded this year. After you concede more than one goal a game in a season. We knew it was tough to get over, as a team that was the turning point for us. That game hurt a lot, we lost our main focus which was defending in that game, but we learned after that, still focus on defending and when a team presses us as hard as they did, we learned how to get out of that. That game as much as it hurt, it definitely helped us prepare for teams in the future. We all got back on the same page after that.
On reshaping the defense due to loss of a center back…what happened after her injury and how has the defense has overcome it?
Jr. D Christina Gibbons: Schuyler [DeBree] is a very talented player and it was a tough loss. As Robbie [Church] as said to our team this season, we have players that can step into roles. I think everyone on our team is confident that when someone is out because of an injury or illness, we have enough depth on this team for someone to step into that role and take care of the job that needs to be done. Luckily, we were able to make the adjustments and a huge part of that was communication along the backline. Everyone was on the same page regardless of where they were playing, we knew we had each other's back and covered for each other, thankfully it worked out well.
On playing the best defense of the season…
Gibbons: I think we have improved throughout each game. Throughout the season we've been shown a lot of different formations and played against a lot of different styles and different threats. This tournament, we've seen attacking players that have scored more goals than some teams combined. We've also seen teams that have threats all over their front line. Presented with so many challenges it's really enabled us to grow as a defensive unit and that's the most important thing every game.
On the journey the team has been has been on, not making the tournament last year, finishing eighth in ACC play, and now.
Gibbons: Ultimately, it was the change of culture. We came together last season after missing out on the NCAA tournament; we were disappointed knowing that something needed to change. Something within ourselves and our team that wasn't working. We figured out it was our culture and as a team we came together and decided what we want our values and goals to be. After deciding that, it really let us grow as a team, become closer, and trust one another. Even off the field, we became a lot closer and I think that's really contributed to our success. Obviously every season has it's ups and downs and every season has its struggles, like the VT game, but its allowed us to grow and get where we are right now.
On FSU in its fifth straight College Cup and playing Duke early in the season - how does that factor into Friday night's game?
Gibbons: I think it plays a factor, going into a game knowing a little about their tendencies than the first time. They were missing a lot of their key players, but being an ACC team you get a general idea of how they play, what they want to do. They are a talented team going into, but at the same time, we'll be really prepared knowing a little bit of who they are.
What do you remember from the first FSU game? What stuck in your mind from that day?
Jr. D Rebecca Quinn: It was a real turning point for our team. Just the fact that we knew we could compete at such a high level. I know we had a couple of bad losses at the beginning of the season and that showed that the team was top-2 in the country, that we could really compete with them and hold our own. It was a huge confidence builder for us. For the tournament, understanding we can get quality chances against these teams and compete with them.
How did the team stick together during the tournament road games and get the confidence to get through that?
Quinn: We knew we were facing a bit of adversity having a lower seed and having to do a bunch with our team and travel on the road playing quality teams. It's never been a problem with us in the past and with our team culture, we've had the ability to step up even when we don't have a lot of fans around. Ability to create the excitement within our team even when we don't have a strong group following.
On the energy around campus.
Quinn: People I haven't met before saying that they have followed our games leading up and through the tournament and it's a cool experience knowing that the entire school is behind you.
Florida State
Opening Remarks – Head Coach Mark Krikorian
Krikorian: First of all thank you for being here. It is great to see a media turnout for our kids at this event. I think in August all of the teams go into preseason excited and hopeful to be playing late into the season and we are thrilled to be here. Thrill to have the opportunity to play with three other great programs and go out and measure ourselves against the best. The goal is to get here and to be successful in the two games if you get two games and just hope that we will have the best performance possible.
Playing in the College Cup is all you've ever known. Can you talk about what that says about the program that [head coach Mark Krikorian] has built?
Sr. M/D Carson Pickett: Coming into Florida State, I wasn't just coming here because this was my favorite choice. I was coming here because I knew I would get better as a player and a person and I knew that no matter what we would always be competing for a national championship because that was always our goal. So coming in having that expectation and having that standard it always made us as a team come out looking very professional and know each year that is our goal no matter what.
You are both Florida natives and you have this team in its fifth straight College Cup that is kind of a blend of Florida players and international players as well as players from across the country too. What do you guys try to do to integrate the team and help players from abroad get up to speed? You know Megan Connolly had a great year, what do you guys try to do as the Florida natives to help facilitate that?
R-Jr. D/M Kirsten Crowley: I guess off the field we spend a lot of time together getting to know each other, but I can easily say that we learn as much from them as they do from us and we all just like to be together and have a common goal and I think that kind of unifies us and makes it easier to play together.
How does the second match against an opponent this season make you change how you prepare for the game and your approach for the match?
Pickett: No obviously no matter who we played, it being Virginia three times last year, we prepare the same way. Acting like the past is the past so we don't even think about what happened last time and we are just focused on the next game ahead of us.
The rematch with Duke you are missing five players, Isabella [Schmid] doesn't play much because she is injured. It is a different situation today, does that lend to more confidence or do you feel like you have a score to settle?
Pickett: Here at Florida State we have amazing players across the board, so no matter who we are missing or not we always have people who can step up and younger players who step up so everyone is willing and able to step up when they can. For us it is really no different because we have great players across the board.
Coach, you know they have the Big 10 / ACC match up in college basketball and the way this final four has broken down what do you think about one in women's soccer?
Krikorian: We are interested in playing any great program out there so we would be open to playing certainly any of these teams. I know that in different times there has been talk about putting conferences against different conferences in these types of challenges. I'm not sure how easy it is with scheduling to actually pull that off, but I am a big fan of Erica Walsh at Penn State and Mike O'Neill at Rutgers and what they're doing. The opportunity to play them in the regular season would be good in my mind.
Duke finished eighth in the ACC this season. What does it say about the conference that they are playing in the final weekend?
Krikorian: It says what everyone knows. There is an awful lot of quality in our conference top to bottom and I think that when we saw Duke earlier in the season we saw the quality that they have and they have gotten better and better and better and I've said it a number of times in the last couple of days that any team going into Gainsville and win and then out to California and win against Stanford, that is a heck of a team. The fact that they learned about themselves throughout the season and some bumps in the road and that has probably made them better for now. We look at the early part of our season and if we take a loss or a draw or don't play well, we take it as an opportunity to learn and get better so that we can get to this stage. Those early games are often times the most valuable even though you may look at it as, 'Oh they lost to this team and that team' if we learned lessons along the way it better enhances our opportunity of playing in December.
Coach, what do you think are some of the biggest lessons you've learned during that point in the season or later on?
Krikorian: Well one thing I've learned is that I am a whole lot better coach when I have all of my players available. So that is one lesson I learned but I think I already knew that. What I felt going into the season looking at our group in the preseason was that we had a great deal of talent and a lot of new players that we had to integrate. As I'm sure some of you know or many of you know that we lost a heck of a senior class last year with the biggest name probably being Dagny [Brynjarsdottir], you know [Kristin] Grubka was a top level defender, Jamia [Fields] was an outstanding wide player. Hikaru [Murakami] and Marta [Bakowska-Mathews] and Morgan Kennedy, we had six players who were really influential for our team last year. I think the biggest thing we had to learn and figure out was how we are going to play. How quickly could these new players come in and assimilate and help make us better.
Mark, is there a comfort level for your team in their fifth straight college cup, playing here at WakeMed where you have had a lot of success winning ACC tournaments and you've been in College Cups here before. Does that lend itself to being more comfortable approaching games at this level?
Krikorian: Well I don't know if any of us are comfortable. I know that being here at this stage and on playing on this beautiful field, these folks do just a fabulous job with the facility, it is familiar for us, that's for sure. That in itself can be a little bit comforting for the team, but we know that when that game starts tomorrow evening against Duke that we'll be well outside of our comfort zone and ready to compete on equal footing with that group.
What was the defensive evolution for your team this season? Obviously you've had a stout defense and have a few of the same players back, but what has kind of been the key especially in this late run where you haven't let a goal up in the tournament?
Krikorian: Well I think that we've said it from the beginning of the year that we are going to defend together and work together from whoever the highest forward is to the goalkeeper. Often times the goalkeeper of the back line will certainly receive credit for the defending, but they all know and we all know that it is a team effort, much like scoring goals is a team effort. In games so much attack is generated by the outside backs, I think Carson and Emma [Koivisto] have demonstrated that very well this year, that they are part of our attacking. It would be foolish to think from my point of view, that the goals are coming simply because we have Cheyna [Williams] and Berglind [Thorvaldsdottir] up front or Megan Connolly because we have talented attacking players in the backline as well. The same logic holds true with the defending. Everyone has to be on the same page and it has to be a clear message from our staff and then execution by the players. So far I think the message has been clear and executed very well.
Mark what impresses you about the run Duke has made in the tournament after finishing eighth in the league. What have they done to make themselves so much better than what they were two months ago?
Krikorian: So I think with Duke they have adapted a little bit to some different tactics than they've played in the past. They have taken a little bit lower line in defending and more on the counter attack, where in the past they played a little bit higher and made the game a little more athletic. Probably in changing those tactics, it takes time. I know when we change our tactics it takes time and Robbie [Church] and his staff have done a great job of teaching the kids to understand the tactics that they are using making them very successful. After watching them on video, I think it is a very good team, very talented as well and they are capable of causing problems for all three of the other teams here.
Looking back at that first game against Duke, scoreless, you elected to play very conservatively because of who you were missing that day. Did you learn anything against them that day that will carry forward into tomorrow night's match?
Krikorian: Well we learned that they are pretty good. They had the lion share of the ball and I think that their athletic quality was very clear. I thought their defending was very good as well. While it was a different tactic for us in that game than we usually use, it was out of respect for Duke that we played that way and for the personnel and the quality that they have. Quite honestly I think we learned more about ourselves than we did about them in that game that day, but it was a very worthwhile game for us.
Opening Statement – Head Coach Robbie Church
Thank you, it's nice to be back. Seems like a long time since we've been here. It's great to be back and great to be back with this team. I've been at this a long time it's such a special group of players, this team set a goal last year. Our 2014 campaign was a disappointing campaign. We were eliminated, ironically at Florida State. At that point, our rising juniors and seniors, they made a pact and goal that they were going to be back at the NCAA tournament and we were going to make a long run in the NCAA tournament. They worked extremely hard and I'm very proud of this group of young ladies. It's probably one of my favorite teams in 35 years. It's been a wonderful season overall for my coaching staff. We've had two new members joining my coaching staff, our long time asst. coach took a head coaching position at the Univ. of Georgia and is doing great there. The new coaches brought a lot of new energy and passion of the game. They had major impact in our program. We went through many changes with this group. We changed completely our training once we got together in August. What our training cycles were as well as what we did in training. Credit to the young ladies who did a phenomenal job to buying in from day one. It's one of those teams that has worked from the beginning of training all the way through. We knew there were questions going into our season, especially at the goalkeeper position. We had a couple goalkeepers that graduated. EJ [Proctor] played some as a freshman and not at a regular basis. She's done an unbelievable job at stepping up and answering that question. She's had a terrific season for us. The main thing we hang our hats on is that we are a very defensive team. Everyone defends with our group. That is not easy at a high level college to get your whole team to buy-in. The one thing that this team has done since the beginning of August to now is they want to win. It's an honor to be here with these three other programs.
On how the team's defensive mindset has developed.
So. GK EJ Proctor: I think last year we conceded more goals than what we wanted to. A lot of the came from focusing on attacking, I think trusting our coaches were telling us. If everyone defends the goals will come, you'll be able to build counter attacks from that. Focus on defending and trust that the attack does come as well. It got a bit tougher when we got into ACC play, how to go from everyone defending to getting enough numbers up to score. As we've gotten into the tournament, I think we've found that again. We still have all 11 players defending as hard as we can. Figuring out how to attack as well as defend has been key for us this tournament.
What changed after the 4-1 loss at Virginia Tech?
Proctor: That's the most goals we've conceded this year. After you concede more than one goal a game in a season. We knew it was tough to get over, as a team that was the turning point for us. That game hurt a lot, we lost our main focus which was defending in that game, but we learned after that, still focus on defending and when a team presses us as hard as they did, we learned how to get out of that. That game as much as it hurt, it definitely helped us prepare for teams in the future. We all got back on the same page after that.
On reshaping the defense due to loss of a center back…what happened after her injury and how has the defense has overcome it?
Jr. D Christina Gibbons: Schuyler [DeBree] is a very talented player and it was a tough loss. As Robbie [Church] as said to our team this season, we have players that can step into roles. I think everyone on our team is confident that when someone is out because of an injury or illness, we have enough depth on this team for someone to step into that role and take care of the job that needs to be done. Luckily, we were able to make the adjustments and a huge part of that was communication along the backline. Everyone was on the same page regardless of where they were playing, we knew we had each other's back and covered for each other, thankfully it worked out well.
On playing the best defense of the season…
Gibbons: I think we have improved throughout each game. Throughout the season we've been shown a lot of different formations and played against a lot of different styles and different threats. This tournament, we've seen attacking players that have scored more goals than some teams combined. We've also seen teams that have threats all over their front line. Presented with so many challenges it's really enabled us to grow as a defensive unit and that's the most important thing every game.
On the journey the team has been has been on, not making the tournament last year, finishing eighth in ACC play, and now.
Gibbons: Ultimately, it was the change of culture. We came together last season after missing out on the NCAA tournament; we were disappointed knowing that something needed to change. Something within ourselves and our team that wasn't working. We figured out it was our culture and as a team we came together and decided what we want our values and goals to be. After deciding that, it really let us grow as a team, become closer, and trust one another. Even off the field, we became a lot closer and I think that's really contributed to our success. Obviously every season has it's ups and downs and every season has its struggles, like the VT game, but its allowed us to grow and get where we are right now.
On FSU in its fifth straight College Cup and playing Duke early in the season - how does that factor into Friday night's game?
Gibbons: I think it plays a factor, going into a game knowing a little about their tendencies than the first time. They were missing a lot of their key players, but being an ACC team you get a general idea of how they play, what they want to do. They are a talented team going into, but at the same time, we'll be really prepared knowing a little bit of who they are.
What do you remember from the first FSU game? What stuck in your mind from that day?
Jr. D Rebecca Quinn: It was a real turning point for our team. Just the fact that we knew we could compete at such a high level. I know we had a couple of bad losses at the beginning of the season and that showed that the team was top-2 in the country, that we could really compete with them and hold our own. It was a huge confidence builder for us. For the tournament, understanding we can get quality chances against these teams and compete with them.
How did the team stick together during the tournament road games and get the confidence to get through that?
Quinn: We knew we were facing a bit of adversity having a lower seed and having to do a bunch with our team and travel on the road playing quality teams. It's never been a problem with us in the past and with our team culture, we've had the ability to step up even when we don't have a lot of fans around. Ability to create the excitement within our team even when we don't have a strong group following.
On the energy around campus.
Quinn: People I haven't met before saying that they have followed our games leading up and through the tournament and it's a cool experience knowing that the entire school is behind you.
Florida State
Opening Remarks – Head Coach Mark Krikorian
Krikorian: First of all thank you for being here. It is great to see a media turnout for our kids at this event. I think in August all of the teams go into preseason excited and hopeful to be playing late into the season and we are thrilled to be here. Thrill to have the opportunity to play with three other great programs and go out and measure ourselves against the best. The goal is to get here and to be successful in the two games if you get two games and just hope that we will have the best performance possible.
Playing in the College Cup is all you've ever known. Can you talk about what that says about the program that [head coach Mark Krikorian] has built?
Sr. M/D Carson Pickett: Coming into Florida State, I wasn't just coming here because this was my favorite choice. I was coming here because I knew I would get better as a player and a person and I knew that no matter what we would always be competing for a national championship because that was always our goal. So coming in having that expectation and having that standard it always made us as a team come out looking very professional and know each year that is our goal no matter what.
You are both Florida natives and you have this team in its fifth straight College Cup that is kind of a blend of Florida players and international players as well as players from across the country too. What do you guys try to do to integrate the team and help players from abroad get up to speed? You know Megan Connolly had a great year, what do you guys try to do as the Florida natives to help facilitate that?
R-Jr. D/M Kirsten Crowley: I guess off the field we spend a lot of time together getting to know each other, but I can easily say that we learn as much from them as they do from us and we all just like to be together and have a common goal and I think that kind of unifies us and makes it easier to play together.
How does the second match against an opponent this season make you change how you prepare for the game and your approach for the match?
Pickett: No obviously no matter who we played, it being Virginia three times last year, we prepare the same way. Acting like the past is the past so we don't even think about what happened last time and we are just focused on the next game ahead of us.
The rematch with Duke you are missing five players, Isabella [Schmid] doesn't play much because she is injured. It is a different situation today, does that lend to more confidence or do you feel like you have a score to settle?
Pickett: Here at Florida State we have amazing players across the board, so no matter who we are missing or not we always have people who can step up and younger players who step up so everyone is willing and able to step up when they can. For us it is really no different because we have great players across the board.
Coach, you know they have the Big 10 / ACC match up in college basketball and the way this final four has broken down what do you think about one in women's soccer?
Krikorian: We are interested in playing any great program out there so we would be open to playing certainly any of these teams. I know that in different times there has been talk about putting conferences against different conferences in these types of challenges. I'm not sure how easy it is with scheduling to actually pull that off, but I am a big fan of Erica Walsh at Penn State and Mike O'Neill at Rutgers and what they're doing. The opportunity to play them in the regular season would be good in my mind.
Duke finished eighth in the ACC this season. What does it say about the conference that they are playing in the final weekend?
Krikorian: It says what everyone knows. There is an awful lot of quality in our conference top to bottom and I think that when we saw Duke earlier in the season we saw the quality that they have and they have gotten better and better and better and I've said it a number of times in the last couple of days that any team going into Gainsville and win and then out to California and win against Stanford, that is a heck of a team. The fact that they learned about themselves throughout the season and some bumps in the road and that has probably made them better for now. We look at the early part of our season and if we take a loss or a draw or don't play well, we take it as an opportunity to learn and get better so that we can get to this stage. Those early games are often times the most valuable even though you may look at it as, 'Oh they lost to this team and that team' if we learned lessons along the way it better enhances our opportunity of playing in December.
Coach, what do you think are some of the biggest lessons you've learned during that point in the season or later on?
Krikorian: Well one thing I've learned is that I am a whole lot better coach when I have all of my players available. So that is one lesson I learned but I think I already knew that. What I felt going into the season looking at our group in the preseason was that we had a great deal of talent and a lot of new players that we had to integrate. As I'm sure some of you know or many of you know that we lost a heck of a senior class last year with the biggest name probably being Dagny [Brynjarsdottir], you know [Kristin] Grubka was a top level defender, Jamia [Fields] was an outstanding wide player. Hikaru [Murakami] and Marta [Bakowska-Mathews] and Morgan Kennedy, we had six players who were really influential for our team last year. I think the biggest thing we had to learn and figure out was how we are going to play. How quickly could these new players come in and assimilate and help make us better.
Mark, is there a comfort level for your team in their fifth straight college cup, playing here at WakeMed where you have had a lot of success winning ACC tournaments and you've been in College Cups here before. Does that lend itself to being more comfortable approaching games at this level?
Krikorian: Well I don't know if any of us are comfortable. I know that being here at this stage and on playing on this beautiful field, these folks do just a fabulous job with the facility, it is familiar for us, that's for sure. That in itself can be a little bit comforting for the team, but we know that when that game starts tomorrow evening against Duke that we'll be well outside of our comfort zone and ready to compete on equal footing with that group.
What was the defensive evolution for your team this season? Obviously you've had a stout defense and have a few of the same players back, but what has kind of been the key especially in this late run where you haven't let a goal up in the tournament?
Krikorian: Well I think that we've said it from the beginning of the year that we are going to defend together and work together from whoever the highest forward is to the goalkeeper. Often times the goalkeeper of the back line will certainly receive credit for the defending, but they all know and we all know that it is a team effort, much like scoring goals is a team effort. In games so much attack is generated by the outside backs, I think Carson and Emma [Koivisto] have demonstrated that very well this year, that they are part of our attacking. It would be foolish to think from my point of view, that the goals are coming simply because we have Cheyna [Williams] and Berglind [Thorvaldsdottir] up front or Megan Connolly because we have talented attacking players in the backline as well. The same logic holds true with the defending. Everyone has to be on the same page and it has to be a clear message from our staff and then execution by the players. So far I think the message has been clear and executed very well.
Mark what impresses you about the run Duke has made in the tournament after finishing eighth in the league. What have they done to make themselves so much better than what they were two months ago?
Krikorian: So I think with Duke they have adapted a little bit to some different tactics than they've played in the past. They have taken a little bit lower line in defending and more on the counter attack, where in the past they played a little bit higher and made the game a little more athletic. Probably in changing those tactics, it takes time. I know when we change our tactics it takes time and Robbie [Church] and his staff have done a great job of teaching the kids to understand the tactics that they are using making them very successful. After watching them on video, I think it is a very good team, very talented as well and they are capable of causing problems for all three of the other teams here.
Looking back at that first game against Duke, scoreless, you elected to play very conservatively because of who you were missing that day. Did you learn anything against them that day that will carry forward into tomorrow night's match?
Krikorian: Well we learned that they are pretty good. They had the lion share of the ball and I think that their athletic quality was very clear. I thought their defending was very good as well. While it was a different tactic for us in that game than we usually use, it was out of respect for Duke that we played that way and for the personnel and the quality that they have. Quite honestly I think we learned more about ourselves than we did about them in that game that day, but it was a very worthwhile game for us.
Players Mentioned
Avery Oder Postgame vs. UNC
Sunday, October 12
Kieran Hall Postgame vs. North Carolina
Sunday, October 12
Kieran Hall Postgame vs Pitt
Thursday, October 02
Mia Oliaro Postgame vs Pitt
Thursday, October 02
