The Future Looks Good with Freshman Duo

by: Christopher La Rocca, Sports Information Guest Writer

Christopher La Rocca sat down with Duke men's soccer freshmen Jordan Cila and Danny Wymer and here is what the highly regarded freshmen had to say.

Jordan Cila

1. Why did you choose Duke over some of the other Schools that were recruiting you?

A. Did Academics come into Play?
B. Was Coach Rennie the main reason?
C. Was it Duke's winning history and consistent top twenty teams?

Jordan Cila: For me it was the coaching staff, of course you can't go to the best team in the country and not like the coaching staff, so for me the main reason for choosing Duke was the staff, I really felt comfortable with them during the recruiting process.

Danny Wymer: For me I thought the academics were going to be hard, but Coach Rennie told me that once you get into the school, Duke tries to keep you going, and I saw that it was a school with the best combination of athletics, a social life and top notch academics. Also Coach Rennie's winning ways and all the success he has had in the past and probably in the future.

Danny Wymer

2.Duke's soccer history is as deep as its talented players. How do you feel when you see great names that have played for Duke University like Tom Kain, John Kerr, Joey Valenti, and Brian Benedict (who both were on the first U.S. team at the first Coca Cola Cup in China, and current MLS stars Jay Heaps and Jason Kreis? Is there a long term goal for you two to be amongst these great players?

Jordan Cila: Those are really incredible names and one day it is my dream to be in that class of players. It's funny because John Kerr is the head coach at Harvard and when I told him that Harvard was not the right situation for me, he helped me out with the process of going to Duke, and what tutors he used. It's very much like a family here at Duke. He wanted to help me out even though he knew I was going to go to Duke.

Danny Wymer: I think Duke is a great school and they have had some amazing talent in the past and I hope that one day I will be looked on as one of those great players.

3. Does MLS or Project 40 interest you before your college career ends or does receiving your degrees seem the smarter choice?

Jordan Cila: I had the project 40 offer when I was in the middle of my junior year of high school and when I was with the under-17 national team, at that point it really didn't appeal to me. I always had it set in mind that I was going to go to college. I had a few offers from overseas with Hamburg and Bayern Munich of Germany and Paris St. Germain and Nantes of the French League. Now though I am really at a point where I want to stay here for four years and get my degree as it isn't necessary for me to stay on the soccer field my entire life.

Danny Wymer: My parents have always said you can only be part of athletics and the game of soccer for so long, you always need something to fall back on and with a degree from Duke your golden. There are many people who would love to hire someone with such a high class education. Actually, one of the first questions assistant coach John Barrett asked me was if I was considering going Project 40 or leaving school early to play in Major League Soccer. I told him that I wanted to stay here four years, but than again a great offer is a great offer.

4. The Atlantic Coast Conference is, if not one of the best conferences to watch top notch college soccer. Did this come into your mindset when deciding on Duke? Jordan, you could have easily gone to a Northeastern school? What's your thoughts on ACC soccer?

Jordan Cila: I think if you are going to decide on college over going professional, the Atlantic Coast Conference is probably the best route. When you look around at the other conferences, it by far the most competitive and has the best players. Of course if you look around, other conferences like the Big East have some great teams in St John's and Connecticut. But if you look closer most conferences have only two or three top teams where the ACC is good top to bottom. If you don't come out to play every game in the ACC, you probably won't win.

Danny Wymer: I think definitely as far as getting noticed and having exposure as a player, the ACC is probably the best conference to be in because your around such great players. The matches are so competitive, for us to beat Virginia last year was a great feat, especially in the ACC final and in the regular season winning 3-0.

5. Who are your role models? Who do you like to model your game after?

Danny Wymer: I like the way Manchester United plays, but my personal role model is Michael Jordan. He always found a way to get the job done. Even if he was ill he still came up big in crucial moments.

Jordan Cila: I don't have one specific role model, but I like watch players like Ronaldo and Dennis Bergkamp because they are not just forwards who score goals, but players who work with their teammates, giving the ball up to score for the team. I like to think that I am an unselfish forward and a complete player. I do better when I play with a very good forward and we can work together. We can combine better and have pretty goals.

6. Both of you are forwards. It must feel good to play with Ali Curtis who won the Hermann award last year. What's your first impression of this relationship up top between you three?

Jordan Cila: Ali gives me a lot of motivation and is always communicating on the field, he's not conceded or ego minded. It's not like he wants the ball all the time, even though he had all that success last year. All our captains provide the motivation, cheering for each other and helping each other out, like great teams do.

Danny Wymer: Each senior has been terrific, Ali Curtis and I were running the trail during the preseason and we talked about how everyone on the team wants the national championship so bad.

7. How have you prepared for the change from premier club soccer to the physical soccer played in the ACC?

Jordan Cila: It's tough to make a comparison, I've only had a couple of games thus far in the preseason, but training here is very similar to how we trained for the Under-17 World Championships in New Zealand. It's very similar as far as the residency that we stayed at in Florida all last year, very intense practices, working very hard.

Danny Wymer: I think that it is a step up, the two major things is the mental side of the game and the physical side of the game. In Club you had a lot of skillful players, where at the college level you have players who are not only skillful but also very big physically. So you have to muscle your defender off the ball and sometimes it is a real struggle. You have to be strong and for me being smaller, my quickness is beneficial to turn on my defender and score a great goals.

8. Danny very impressive start for you in Indiana this past weekend with four goals and an assist in a 30 minute span. Can we expect this every game from you, especially this weekend against Big East powers St.John's and Connecticut?

We'll see,(laughs) I definitely look forward to each and every game. I really love working with Jordan up top, we are a real good combination, as we worked together on my first two goals against IPFW. I'll give it my best shot and if I can score fours goals game I will be satisfied.

9. Do either of you feel any pressure to scores goals right away? You are replacing two seniors in Troy Garner and Peter Gail who were very successful at Duke.

Jordan Cila: Not any pressure to score, but to perform. If I don't score, but play some good balls to our other players that's satisfying. Of course as a forward, its the ultimate goal to score goals. But the main goal is to come out with a victory. This weekend is huge for us because we are playing two top twenty teams from the big East. It's so important to get the season off on the right foot.

Danny Wymer: I really look at it as a great situation to be in. I thrive on pressure. It gives me kind of a high and motivation and energy to maybe go the extra ten yards to beat my man and score a goal. I don't know if I feel pressure to score goals. I know I feel better with myself when I am scoring. This weekend will be a good tone setter. We had an unfortunate loss to Rutgers, but came out the next day and really rocked. When you are ranked number one, everyone wants a piece of you, so if we can come out this weekend with two good wins over St. John's and Connecticut that will really say something about our team.

10. Jordan you have already been slated to start this weekend, How do you prepare mentally, and are there any unusual things you like to do before matches?

Jordan Cila: I like to say a prayer the night before a game, just asking for a win and good health. I usually eat three or four hours before the match and then head to the field. I'll say another prayer before the game starts. It always been something I do. If I forget to pray then its in my head the entire game.

Danny Wymer: I have some rituals I like to go through before every game. I take a shower before every match, I don't know if it just relaxes me or puts me in the right mindset but. In High school my mom would always make me pasta before every game.

11. If there has been one lasting impression thus far of your experience at Duke University and with the men's soccer program what is it?

Danny Wymer: Its a wonderful university, the campus by far is incredible. The university seems to go that extra mile and the team is super nice. There isn't ego's and everybody is geared in the same direction--to win a national championship. I don't think anyone was satisfied with last year and we also want to win the ACC Championship.

Jordan Cila: I just love it here thus far. I'm not homesick at all. It's a great environment. I mean it helps to be on one of the great teams in the country and to know that you are competing everyday to win a national championship. Everyday I am excited when I wake up and I know I have a couple of classes and some free time and then training later. It's a lot of fun.

The Future Looks Good with Freshman Duo

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