NCAA Soccer Tournament Selection Show Quotes
Nov. 8, 2004
Head Coach Mark Francis
On playing against familiar opponents…
“I don’t think it really helps us. I think that it is better to play against teams that you haven’t played before. Whether you win or lose to a team, there is always some kind of emotion there, so I think it is easier to play against teams that you have not yet played. Either way, you still have to show up and play that day so I don’t think it really makes a big difference. Right now we are concerned with Creighton because if we don’t beat them, our season is over anyway.”
On playing at home…
“I think that it is huge. We don’t have to travel on Thursday and the players get to sleep in their own beds. They can go to class which I am sure they are very happy about because they missed last week at the conference tournament. Hopefully we will get some people out at the game supporting us and that could be a really big boost for the players. I don’t have any concerns with the facility. For our players, it is just great to get to play at home. Last season we had to go on the road after being seeded, especially having to go to Missouri, it was really tough. The girls will be really excited and I could tell that when we saw that we are hosting. They were really pumped
Senior Goalkeeper Meghan Miller
On playing some of the teams in the bracket before…
“It’s nice to know who we are playing and that we have played some of the teams a few times before, but when you get in to the Big Dance, it doesn’t matter anymore. I think it will help if we have played some of these teams before, but once you get here, it’s time to dance.”
On playing at home…
“Anytime that you can play in front of your home fans, it’s amazing. For our Big 12 Championship game, it was unbelievable to see the amount of support out there. I got chills when I was coming off the field and it is nice that it was not the last home game. It is a big advantage.”
On playing against other Big 12 team…
“It will be fun to have a chance to play some other Big 12 schools again and I think it is a good representation of the conference and how good we really are. Every game is going to be tough whether it is a conference opponent or not.”
Senior defender Stacy Leeper
On playing at home…
“It’s nice (to play at home) because we have been on the road a lot lately. It is nice to be able to go to class and still be able to concentrate on soccer. If other people don’t like our field, it is a huge advantage for us because we like it here and we play well at home.”
On possibly playing familiar opponents…
“It is kind of nice, but it is also fun to play against new opponents. We may not have as nice of a draw as last year, but it is still a winable bracket. Since we have faced some of these teams before, we will know what to expect from them.”
Junior Forward Caroline Smith
On playing at home…
“It’s awesome for us because we were just on the road for a week. It is good to be able to go to classes. We will be able to get some home fans out there and the good fan base definitely made a big difference for us this year. The fans will be better and better each time we keep winning. Hosting is probably one of the most important things for us.”
