The 2010 UC San Diego Women's Soccer team is aiming for their eighth NCAA National Championship and you can join us every step of the way. Each day we will post a video blog of the activities at the championships, comments/analysis from players and coaches as well as photos documenting the experience. Check back daily to catch up on how the team is doing at the championships in Louisville, Kentucky.
2010 NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP - Day Four
Scouting Report with Brian McManus
Well, we've got Grand Valley State (MI) tomorrow in the NCAA
final. They will be going for their second straight title so they've been here
before. They're a team with a lot of experience, play a 4-3-3 and are very
attack-minded. It will be another mountain for us to climb. Greg (LaPorte) and
Jonesy (Kristin Jones) watched them yesterday and they're a lot like us.
They're bigger than us, though and have a bit of speed. I'm
sure they saw at least some of our game yesterday and probably went away saying
St. Rose should have had the game dead and buried at halftime. They'll likely
try to go right at us and see if they can kill us off quickly.
I'm hoping we can take up from where we left of Thursday in the second half. I
think that game will give us confidence. That St. Rose team was as good a team
as we played all year. A lot of times, particularly for a young team-and we are
young-the first game in any of these tournament-type settings is the toughest.
Teams tend to relax a bit more as they move forward. I'm hoping that's the
case-if we just turn up tomorrow and play, we'll be fine.
The weather could be a factor. I wish we could have played today-like the old
back-to-back schedule. It was sunny, the temperature was manageable, just a
great day. It's supposed to be nasty tomorrow and it may come down to which
team adjusts. One would have to assume they're more used to what we're going to
see.
We have several alumni who have made the trip and when I
look at this team, I think it compares well to the championship teams we've had
in the past. Any team that gets to the finals usually has the same sort of
ingredients. All the pieces have to be there-front-to-back with goalkeeping
that comes up big at the right time.
This team reminds me a lot of our first D-II championship team that won in
Florida. The semi-final was very similar in that Kami Poma, our keeper, made
two great big saves-one on a free kick-and our bench players, (Megan) Mendoza, Kristin
(Jones) and Amy Goker came in and did their jobs, keeping the level of the game
steady while the starters got a breather.
It has been a real treat to see our alumni that turned up here in
Louisville-Julia Cuder from that 2000 team, Tash (Natasha Belak-Berger), Lauren
Segars and Cela (Oceguera) who was on several championship teams in the late
'90's. It really adds to the experience. Cela drove two hours Thursday from
Indianapolis in the snow with her three-week old baby. That was tremendous. The
baby's first soccer game!
NCAA Insider with Sara Bolton
Q-What did the team
do to celebrate yesterday's semi-final win?
BOLTON-On the
field, everyone was jumping around and hugging. We made up some little dances
and a song, "Going to the 'Ship," as in Championship. In the van on the ride
back to the hotel everyone was really excited but most of the talk was about
the next game. Everyone went to dinner at the Hard Rock Café and celebrated
with their parents, but it was low-key. We were really looking forward more than
anything.
Q-Has it fully hit
you that you'll be playing in the national championship game tomorrow?
BOLTON-I've always thought that you have to play every game the same, like
it's your last game and go all out. So, I'm trying not to think about it as being
anything different.
Q-Is it tough to come
off the bench in the kind of weather you encountered yesterday?
BOLTON-It is a
little tougher than usual. The only way you can really warm yourself back up is
in the game. At home, when it's 70-degrees, you don't really have to worry
about that. I tried to run around a little bit more, our trainer Tosh
(Tepraseuth) got us hand warmers and my mom got me some toe warmers today. I'm
sure I'll have them on because my feet were like blocks of ice yesterday.
Q-Today, Coach Brian
McManus had the team practicing in a park alongside the Ohio River. Does that
seem odd?
BOLTON-A little,
but not really. Wherever we go in between games, we kind of just go to whatever
piece of grass we can find, just stretch and have fun because we're not going
to do much anyway. We did the same thing at the sub-Regional in Hawaii and two
weeks ago in Austin.
Today, it was a little slanted park next to
the water. Brian's always trying to mix things up and today we played a header
game and did a team obstacle course game. It was all pretty fun.
I feel like everyone's ready to go and the hardest part is past us. The first
step is hard. There's a lot to take in and you really don't know what you're
going to face. Now, we know how tough every team will be, have a feel for the
stadium and how to deal with the weather conditions. If we play our game, we
can win.
2010 NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP - Day Three
Scouting Report with Head Coach Brian McManus
I think that today's win
(1-0 vs. St. Rose) will take some of the nervousness out of our
play-hopefully, it should. Let's be truthful, they were a heckuva team. A
lot of teams could have been blown away by their first
half.
We survived the first half
for two reasons. First, we got two big saves from Kristin (Armstrong) in
goal. Those were huge. And secondly, four or five players off the
bench, playing the last 15-20 minutes, kept us in
the game. As I said, St. Rose was an excellent team. They were beating
us to every ball, getting hold of the ball and keeping it.
We were just hesitant, like the ball was a bloody hot potato-we didn't
want to touch it. We could easily have been three-to-four goals down at
halftime.
Tomorrow, our focus will just be relaxing, getting the legs back and
making sure we're ready. It wasn't that cold out there today, but you
spend a lot more energy. We'll practice somewhere Friday-I'm leaning
towards going indoors. We know what the field is
like and don't really need to go outside.
Grand Valley State is going
to be a real challenge Saturday. They're the defending champions and
from experience, I know that's a plus. They know what to expect, they've
been through it. Hopefully, as the game goes
on we can wear them down a bit.
I always felt coming back as
the defending champion gave us an edge-you know what it takes and the
fact that they defeated a team from the CCAA last season gives them
confidence. We learned something today, though.
There is such a different intensity level between the early rounds of
the playoffs and the Final Four. If you want to win, you've got to take a
big step up.
NCAA Insider with Jessica Wi
Q-How did the first 45 minutes of today's game differ from what your expected?
WI-We
had more nerves than I thought. It's a little intense when you go out
there and realize what you're doing and what you're playing for. Maybe
it's the
hype but the Final Four environment is so much bigger. There was
definitely more excitement.
Q-What were you feeling as the first half unfolded?
WI-I
just knew we could play better. It was frustrating. We had so much more
potential than what we showed. We knew if we didn't pick it up, it
wasn't going
to be good.
Q-How did the personality of the game change after Annette Ilg's goal?
WI-It
was kind of a relieving thing. You feel like 'we did it,' and the win
seemed possible. No matter how much time was left, you realize that the
end goal
is attainable.
It's also like a reward. We were playing hard...pushing and pushing and
once you get it, it feels like you were rewarded for all the work you've
put in. I felt like it affected St. Rose. It's disheartening when you
go down a goal after playing so well.
Q-How were you feeling as the final minutes ticked away?
WI-It
felt like something so big. I've never been part of something so huge. A
shot at a national championship-it's something I'd never even thought
of before
I came to UCSD.
2010 NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP - Day One
SCOUTING REPORT with Head Coach Brian McManus
Despite the fact that we've been in four different time
zones (including Pacific) over the past three weeks, the team seems to be
handling the traveling really well. We got into Louisville late last night,
checked into the hotel and then went straight to dinner. We at a nearby Denny's
which was the only place open. The highlight was watching and listening to the
thunder and lightning storm passing through.
The weather could play a pretty key role in this week's championship. If it
stays like this-windy and rainy-it will be a game of survival. It will likely
come down to who can handle it best and fight through the elements.
I feel like our team is pretty healthy. We've got a few nicks and bumps but at
this time of year, you have to expect that. We're pretty near 100% or at least
as close to 100% as you can be 23 games into the season.
This year's Soccer Championship is part of the NCAA's
Division II Festival. There are six different championships being contested in
Louisville this weekend and the NCAA has scheduled a number of different activities
into the mix. Tonight was their "opening ceremonies" at the Muhammad Ali
Center. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of the Festival concept because I think it
takes away from the individual sports. I would prefer to have the soccer
championship on the home field of one of the participating teams. But having said that, I want our team to enjoy the
experience. I think the tonight was good for our kids and although there were a
few things (food/weather) that could have been better, we seem to always take
things in stride. I've always tried to give the team a little bit of space and
am not going to start changing things up because we're at the Final Four. We'll start focusing in at the
right time-that's how this team has been all year.
NCAA Insider with Sara Spaventa
Q-The team has been on the road for most of the last three
weeks with the Thanksgiving holiday thrown in for good measure. How difficult
has that been
SPAVENTA-It's been pretty stressful, primarily because of
classes and the fact that finals start the day after we get back. It would be
harder, though, if we weren't so close as a team. It helps that we're all going
through it together.
Aside from school, the traveling has probably been good for
us, made us closer. We get to spend a lot of time together that might not have
happened if we were home. When we're back at school, there are other things on
our mind but on the road Brian (McManus) monitors us, keeps us on schedule and
makes sure we get to sleep early. That's a good thing.
Q-What was your take on tonight's "opening ceremonies?"
SPAVENTA-Being out in the cold wasn't too fun but it was
interesting. I wish all of the teams would have been together in a single room
for dinner instead of spread around but overall, it was well put together and
it was nice to see the Muhammad Ali museum.
Q-You injured your ankle at the sub-Regional in Hawaii. How
is that coming along and what is the general state of the team, physically and
mentally?
SPAVENTA-I'm fine. I've had to tape it for the last few
games but I might go without it for the semis, we'll see how it goes.
Physically, I think we're all pretty ready. I know I'm not
sore and the legs feel fresh. Mentally, we're basically approaching this with
the mindset that losing is not an option. That might sound cocky, but I prefer
to think it's confidence.
Video Blogs
| Tuesday, Nov. 30th - Opening Ceremonies |
Wednesday, Dec. 1st - Final Four Eve |
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