Aug 26, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
Opening Statement
Coach Walsh: It was great to see so many fans in attendance for opening weekend. To start back on Jeffrey Field with our home crowd, it feels like we never left. The last nine months have been a ton of work, we've got new leadership and some fresh new faces in our freshman class but the same feeling, the same drive and the same goals. I think these guys are fit, they're ready, they've got the right attitudes and here we go.
Q: What was your assessment after the opening weekend on how they looked versus what you were expecting?
Coach Walsh: I think if you look at that West Virginia game, it brought out so many of our strengths. You look at the work that Em Hurd did down the left flank and a variety of different players. You saw some very good flank play. Obviously, you know what you're going to get out of Maya Hayes and Mallory Weber but it's neat to see some of these other players like Taylor Schram, Brittany Basinger and, arguably to most important piece, Britt Eckerstrom, who I thought had a fabulous weekend. I think that calms a lot of nerves, both on the field and in the stands, that we're going to be in good shape in goal. Overall I was really pleased.
Q: After you guys finished so strong on Friday and had a hot start on Sunday, what do you think the key is to keep the energy consistent this weekend against Virginia?
Coach Walsh: The most important thing at this point is the training this week and making sure we are focused. These guys know what Virginia is all about and that they are going to be a strong opponent.
Emily Hurd: UVA is going to be a really important match-up for us, it always is. It is tough playing them at home just because of the atmosphere that they have but we are used to it because we play with the same kind of atmosphere at our home field. Our match-ups against UVA are typically pretty fast paced. We have a lot of athletes on our team and so do they, so sometimes this game can be a bit of a track meet. A really good thing about our team this year is that we have got a lot of depth and we are able to use a lot of people off the bench to come in and not have the level drop off from our starting 11. I think that that will be a key factor in this game against Virginia, simply having more players that can make an impact on the field.
Q: You have a lot of players back this year but you lost your leading goal scorer and your keeper, does it kind of feel like you're taking over a totally different team? How do you look this team compared to last year?
Coach Walsh: One of the things that we try to impress on each team, in particular this team after such a successful season, is that we've got to have our own personality and we've got to have our own way of doing things. I think that's the charge on these two players (Hurd and Marton) right now, defining what this team is going to be all about. Not only just on paper and with our words but on a daily basis. I think they're starting to get a really good idea of what they want to be about so now it's just putting it into play and showing the younger players what it takes to be a successful Penn State women's soccer player.
Q: Lexi, how much value do you put in yourself and the rest of the seniors as mentors for these newcomers?
Lexi Marton: It's huge. I can look back to my freshman year, almost five years ago, and the impact that those senior players had on me as an individual, as a soccer player and just as a person. Day in and day out we spend so much time with our teammates here and it's so crucial that we, as seniors and as leaders on the team, impress upon them the values, the morals and the tradition that Penn State women's soccer has always had and will continue to have. It's important for them to value being a part of this team and this family. It's so much more than just putting together a good soccer team, it's really about unique individuals who have all different sets of values and skills and we come together really well as a whole.
Q: Coming off that, how do you think the freshmen have assimilated with the rest of the veterans? Have they caught up with the program and everything?
Lexi Marton: Yeah, I love this freshman class. They're full of energy and they're a lot of fun, always smiling. They're really eager to learn and they haven't been afraid to come and ask questions and seek us out individually just to clarify things and that's a really good thing. They don't seem too shy and they're willing to learn so that's huge.
Q: Coach what freshman do you see factoring in heavily and getting playing time this season?
Coach Walsh: Well I think that you can look at the box scores and see that Brittany Basinger played the most number of minutes this weekend so obviously she's going to be a big piece in the puzzle this year. I also thought that Salina Williford showed very well. Salina had six months with us, she came in this spring and now she feels like an upperclassman, at least to me. There were a number of people who came up to me after the game and said that they couldn't believe these guys are freshman, so I think right off the bat these two have made a huge impact.
Q: What's the transition like to have a freshman come in and enter the starting lineup right away? Are there any obstacles that stick out?
Coach Walsh: Surprisingly, I think in the early part of the season they're still finding their way and typically don't really realize what they don't know. It's not until the middle of the season when you start to feel the impact physically, physiologically and mentally. That's the crucial time as a coaching staff and as players to understand their bodies. Most often, these are the players that won't come to you and say that they are really fatigued so you've got to make sure you're checking in on them. We rely on the upperclassmen heavily to get the younger players to understand that it's okay to maybe to a bike workout over a running workout and they need to know their own bodies and be pros about it even at 18 years old. Right now, these guys are off to the races. They've got big smiles and they're ready to go and they'll start to figure things out here real quick.
Q: You did a lot of substituting in the game on Sunday, is that going to continue? Are you looking for combinations that work?
Coach Walsh: Yeah, I think you just hit on two different things. We are looking for combinations right now. I think Em Hurd is a great example because she played with a variety of left backs over the course of the weekend, we are trying to find that right combination and what's on paper may not necessarily be on the field and vice versa. When you talk about substitution patterns we've got a lot of players with a lot of talent and a lot of experience. Corey Persson, from last year, got loads of minutes and Teddy Chase I think played every minute this spring. These are players that, if you give them opportunities, just like we did Mallory Weber in the early part of the season last year, you never know what can happen. We all know what happened with Mal last year and what a terrific freshman year.
Q:With the success that you had last season, where is the bar at for this team this year, in terms of expectations? Do you use last year as a good benchmark?
Emily Hurd: Absolutely, last year's season was a tremendous one. Obviously it didn't end the way that we wanted it to but I think the great thing about last year is that now we know we can get there. We always had a goal to make it to the final four but making it to the national championship was a big step for our program. By no means is that what we are going to tip our hats off to, I think we are going to go out and continue to challenge in the Big Ten and then in the post-season. It is absolutely one of our goals to win the whole thing this year and I think we did the work in the offseason to prepare. One of the things that stuck out, at least to me, was the depth that North Carolina had at the end of the season that didn't necessarily have. The preparation that all 29 players on our roster took to make sure that we would have that depth come this December is huge for us. We return eight starters from last season so I think the challenge for us this year will be working in the new players. If we have success with that, the sky is the limit and you'll see that trophy come home with us.
Q: You mentioned the impact that Mallory Weber and Raquel Rodriguez had last year as freshmen. What does it mean to have the younger players stepping up like that so early?
Emily Hurd: I think it's huge. It gives them confidence and it gives us confidence. When you have a lot of experience with senior players like Bri Hovington, Maya Hayes and Taylor Schram combined with the freshmen players and the younger players, it can create such a dynamic and exciting force on the field and off the field because there are so many different aspects to our team. There are older players challenging the younger players at practice and vice versa. Like I said, the more depth we have, the further we can make it in the tournament because we are able to use more bodies on the field and have less risk for injuries. I think we have quite a few freshmen that are going to make quite an impact this season.
Q: Coach you mentioned after the game on Sunday that we thought we were still kind of in early season form, what is the biggest key to getting to the next level?
Coach Walsh: Well the big thing right now is consistency. Can we play week in and week out? Can we play Sunday games like we play Friday games? And, certainly, every coaching staff in the country is trying to figure out how to make that happen. So much of it falls on the leadership and the older players and understanding that it's a long season. As Em and Lexi said, it takes a lot of players. The biggest thing right now is that these guys have been there. I think if there's one thing I can take away from the success of last season, it's that it takes a lot of hard work and every team is working hard, but what can you do in addition? How many free kicks can Emily Hurd take? How many headers can Lexi take? To be above and beyond what we're doing on a regular basis to make sure that we're prepared for the one moment, the one chance on goal that Emily's going to get when she gets behind the back line. That can make the difference in success and failure.
Q: You said yesterday that Meghan Kaminski is healed from her injury but that you're waiting for her to feel ready to play?
Coach Walsh: No she's at the point where she can step in and she'll start to see moments and opportunities here. Meg's a player that has arguably more potential than anyone I've ever seen. She comes from a very different background and didn't really play club soccer, wanted to play volleyball at Penn State and we were fortunate enough to add her to our roster. I know Bob Warming, our men's soccer coach, was blown away the first time he saw her play by the athleticism she has in a 6-2 frame. So she's pretty special.
Q: What is the process going to be like for integrating her into the game? Do you have any set plan for giving her minutes or competing with Eckerstrom?
Coach Walsh: She is a huge part of this team, both on and off the field. She's got an enormous personality and adds so much so it feels like she's been with us everyday training and she's ready to go. There are always opportunities to give players minutes and we'll figure out her chance. She's of a mindset that getting minutes is great but she's here to help everyone else get better and, in the process, get better herself.
Q: Who else do you see coming off the bench and making an impact this year?
Coach Walsh: We've got Emily Carrollo, a transfer from Virginia, who played some great minutes for us and I thought was very effective this weekend. Kindrah Kohne and Mal Peterson are always players that come to mind because they are the heart and soul of this team. Their work ethic and their heart. These guys would lay down on train tracks for anyone on the team. They are Penn State soccer so I think those two players will be huge. We've got some other names that you've seen on the roster, Erin Kehoe is a senior that's given us some great minutes and she played in the national championship game. I could go on with Teddy Chase and a variety of players but I think we could go 19, 20 deep this year which is different from past seasons.
Q: Lexi you've been on the bench for a long time so, three-part question: How tired are of being on the bench, how anxious are you to finally get on the field and when will that happen?
Lexi Marton: I'll never get sick of being a part of Penn State soccer so the fact that I'm lucky enough to be a part of it for five years is a blessing. I'm dying to get back on the field, I feel like I'm ready to do so it has just been a matter of pushing, getting my touches back, getting my strength and quickness back and we didn't want to rush it so last weekend just didn't feel quite right and hopefully I'll be back out there within the next few days. I feel confident so it's just a matter of getting back out there.
Q: Any fitness concerns since you haven't been able to play full matches in a while?
Lexi Marton: Soccer fitness is always different but I have been working really hard with Greg Miskinis, our strength and conditioning coach, and he's really prepared me and the rest of the girls to be ready to make an impact no matter when in the season. I think I'm going to be good to go and I'm looking forward to it.
Q: Last year Whitney Church was Big Ten Defender of the Year and she hasn't started in the last two games, is there a reason for that?
Coach Walsh: If you look at her performance over the course of the weekend I think she was very impressive. I thought she organized for us, she won balls in the air but to your point earlier, we are trying to find the right combination of players right now. We are starting to see some of these pieces come together and I thought Whit was one of the standout players of this weekend. She'll obviously be a huge pieces for us going forward this season.