Cameron McElfresh is beginning his second season as the full-time, undisputed starter in goal for the UC San Diego men's soccer program. The 5-foot-11 Palo Alto product, a redshirt junior still with two seasons of eligibility left, was a steadying influence at the back for a Triton defense that was again one of the best in the country a year ago, and now steps up into a leadership role. "We feel really confident heading into the season with Cam as our starting keeper," says his head coach, Jon Pascale. "He had a really positive first season as the starter. He manages the game really well, manages his (penalty) box really well, and is as intelligent a keeper as I think there is in the league. His distribution is excellent, and he's shown the ability to make the big save." Before the Tritons make their way onto a plane bound for the Pacific Northwest for Thursday's opener at Saint Martin's, McElfresh agreed to be our latest guest for Triton Q&A.
Q: Entering a second straight year as the only goalkeeper on the Triton roster with actual collegiate playing experience, you are the clear leader of that group in specific, and arguably the defensive unit as a whole. How do you treat that leadership role in training and in general?
McELFRESH: For me, it helps out a lot because of how comfortable we are playing with each other. Going into the year knowing what I can expect from my back line, and what they should expect from me, puts us on the front foot in terms of what we can do to help us close areas of concern and keep the ball out of the net.
Q: Goalkeeper is certainly a position for which one can have specific strengths and weaknesses, like handling crosses, putting the ball back in play, penalty kicks, etc. What then are some of your strengths, and what do you still tend to work on the most in practices?
McELFRESH: I would like to think that I tend to do a pretty good job with the communication to my back line and my distribution of the ball. I would much rather yell at someone and have it dealt with further up the field if possible. Our recent trainings have been focusing a lot on creating extremely chaotic and fast-paced game situations and having to stay under control and relaxed while you're flying around in front of the goal. Everything seems simple until you put 20 guys in front of you, so we try to replicate that and I think it will translate to keeping a cooler head during actual games.
Q: How do you walk that fine line between being a vocal force like a good goalkeeper should, and seemingly berating your teammates if and when they aren't covering their ground properly?
McELFRESH: Most of what you hear me yelling will be direct commands or encouragement. If I feel someone needs to be doing something differently, I'll usually speak to them directly during a pause when I'm holding the ball or during (play). Those conversations tend to be less audible because I don't see the advantage of both teams hearing me scream at a teammate mid-game.
Q: UCSD fell just short in back-to-back postseason penalty-kick tiebreakers in 2014, but you made three great saves to keep Triton hopes alive. How do you rate your performance level in spot-kick situations?
McELFRESH: Honestly, I'm probably more relaxed during penalties than I am during the game. I don't have to worry about my defensive line, my positioning, the attackers, the position of the ball, the tempo of the game, etc. No goalie is ever expected to save a penalty, so I just do my best to relax, play some mind games with the shooter, and maybe snag a couple if it's a good day.
Q: What was it that got you to come all the way down here from Palo Alto in the Bay Area, to attend school at UCSD?
McELFRESH: The combination of soccer, academics and location really stuck with me. It really came down to whether or not I was going to leave California, and San Diego is just hard to beat. (Editor's Note: Strongly agree.)
Q: What are some of your hobbies away from the game of soccer?
McELFRESH: I'm very involved in the labs that I work in and a Greek organization on campus. When I'm free from those, I'm a fan of the beach, reading, cooking, playing the guitar, and if I can find the time for it, I'll skydive a couple times a year.
Q: What goalkeepers in the professional game do you admire and look up to? Do you have a favorite team?
McELFRESH: I'm a big fan of Joe Hart (Manchester City/England), Peter Schmeichel (retired Manchester United/Denmark legend), and Mark Schwarzer (Leicester City/Australia). I started really following professional soccer and picked a team with my favorite keeper at the time, which is Joe Hart's Manchester City.
Q: UCSD has been among the top seven teams nationally in Division II in goals-against average in each of the past three seasons. How are the Tritons so successful as a defensive unit?
McELFRESH: We're so successful as a defensive unit because it's how we're coached and structured as a team. The first thing any new freshman learns during the first several weeks of playing here, is how we defend. If you can defend and put in the work, you'll play. If there's someone else that will work harder than you to defend, they'll play and you'll sit on the bench. It's really a mindset that we're drilled day in and day out, and as you can tell, it helps us keep the ball out of the net.
Q: Speaking specifically of personnel, you'll have Kuba Waligorski again as a central anchor, and welcome Brett Sampiere back next to him after missing him for over half of the 2014 campaign. You will, however, have to replace your outside backs. Talk a bit about the guys who'll be in front of you in 2015.
McELFRESH: I played with Kuba, Kyle (Panganiban) and Brett in the back line for a lot of last season and feel very confident in their abilities as defenders. We've put a lot of emphasis on our attacking players tracking back and winning the ball, especially in the midfield area. Our central players like Riley Harbour do an excellent job of disrupting the flow of play for the other team, and it quells attacks before they're able to turn into goal-scoring opportunities.
Q: You are entering your fourth season under head coach Jon Pascale, who continues to build a culture of success here with five straight winning seasons and six out of seven since his arrival. What's it like to play for him?
McELFRESH: Jon lays out what he wants very clearly. You show up on time, put in the work, and feed into the culture of the team. The moment you put yourself ahead of the group, he'll remind you why you're here, and I think it resonates with the team. He knows the group well enough that he pushes us when he knows he can, to get the most out of us, and I'm excited to see where that will lead this year and the next.
Q: You'll also have a new goalkeeper coach this season in Tim Hogan. How has that transition been so far in training?
McELFRESH: Exhausting, to say the least. But as I mentioned earlier, Tim is doing an excellent job in making sure we get the small details perfect under chaotic conditions. Every training is mentally and physically straining, but it pushes us to be our best, and I know the group of goalkeepers have made big strides because of it. However, my improvement as a player has just as much to do with how much my training partners put in to it, and we've all been pushing each other in the right direction the past several weeks.
Q: You're a nanoengineering major, which is perhaps a branch of engineering that is not all that familiar to everyone. How can you best describe it, and what attracted you to it?
McELFRESH: Nanoengineering focuses on the engineering at the nanoscale level, and developing or analyzing functional devices based on processes unique to that scale. I originally came in as a chemistry major and jumped around several times before settling on nano. I stuck with nano because I'm interested in being part of the growing and emerging field of materials development and analysis.
Previous Triton Q&A Features
Daniel Franz (Men's Cross Country) August 17, 2015
Meagan Wright (Women's Volleyball) August 10, 2015
Chase Cockerill (Men's Water Polo) August 3, 2015
Kelcie Brodsky (Women's Soccer) July 27, 2015
Kuba Waligorski (Men's Soccer) July 20, 2015
Nate Garcia (Cross Country) July 13, 2015
2014-15 • 2013-14 • 2010-13 • 2004-09
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