TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

You opened the season at Army, playing two regionally-ranked teams and beating Army before going to Florida to play nationally-ranked Central Florida. What was it like opening up your season against nationally-recognizable programs?
Especially coming off a season like last year, during the spring season, we worked together as a team and worked very hard. This season is very exciting and playing the nationally-ranked programs I think excited us a little bit more. After beating Army, we realized that we can play nationally-ranked teams. Playing at UCF when it’s 27th in the nation, we held them and controlled most of the game. It just taught us that we can play with nationally-ranked teams. That can be us. That can be the University at Buffalo.

This weekend, you open up your MAC season against Miami (OH) and Ball State. Last year, the Bulls didn’t make the playoffs for the first time since joining the conference in 1998. How determined is this team to not let that happen again?
The team, like I said last year and during the spring season, is very determined. It’s a totally different team, the players that we have, the sophomores, one junior and six seniors have been putting in all the work over the summer, playing on teams, playing together and trying to get that unity. That’s pretty much what you need. You need a commitment from every single person, not just one person, to make the team. The strength of the team is in the player and the strength of the player is in the team. With everybody being determined to play as a team and be one in unity, it makes us determined to win and make the playoffs and hopefully win the MAC Championship.

Last year, the Bulls had six MAC road games in a row. This year, the team has seven home games and only four road matches in the conference. Do you think having more home games this year will give you an advantage?
Definitely. We’ll have a huge advantage. Usually, what teams like to do is split away games and a couple of those away trips we had double losses last year. Having home games is definitely an advantage. There’s a lot of things you can’t control when you’re away - the playing field, the refs. Having the home advantage and having your fans in support behind you, especially at the University at Buffalo this year, the women’s soccer team has gotten a lot of recognition because of previous years.

This year, your team returns three fifth-year seniors, Anna-Lesa Calvert, Arielle Korczykowski and Lindsay Szafranski, all who could have graduated last spring. What was your reaction when you found out those three would return for a fifth year?
When I heard the three of them were coming back, I was very ecstatic. First of all, Anna-Lesa or “Tex,” I have played with all of my three years previously. I am very comfortable with her in the back and with her behind everyone else as the last defender. If somebody is on a breakaway, I know for sure that she will be up to save it. Arielle and Franny, as we call her, or Lindsay, both have put hard work in and have made a huge impact as center-midfielders and will be a very big help this year. I’m very excited for all three of them.

This year’s team also gets to play at a new home, on the artificial turf of UB Stadium. What do you think of the new turf through your first practices on the field?
It’s a little different style of play. We’re not used to the fast pace. Our practice field has long grass so you really have to put oomph behind the ball when you’re practicing at that field. Playing on the turf definitely changes the game, the style of play, and also the game pace and speed of the ball. We’ve worked on that and hopefully, we’ll be getting better practicing the next two weeks on our turf. Playing at UCF, they had very, very short grass and it was hard. It was similar to the turf so I think that helped us a lot at first. It was hard to get used to, but we did and controlled the game.

One of the things that Coach Tassy is very proud of is how your team has sustained GPAs above 3.3 in each of the last two semesters. How much emphasis does Coach put on academics?
That’s one of the first priorities that he sets when we’re away. We have set amount of study hours and also in the spring, the entire team is expected to go to study hours. Also, he emphasizes the extra tutoring you can get and the aid you can have if you are struggling.

A lot of soccer is a slow jog before a series of hard sprints. What has helped you stay focused and disciplined during such a grueling test of endurance?
Mainly, it’s keeping possession. Like many soccer coaches say, “Let the ball do the work.” That’s the major focus for us this year, keeping possession and working to attack and only really dribbling in the attacking third of the field. In the midfield and the defense, our focus is to keep possession and move the ball as quickly as possible on one or two touches. Every now and then, you’ll get those quick sprints in on offense and defense.

Midfielders have to both help play back on defense and also be a part of the attack on offense. How much different is the midfield position from any other position on the field?
The midfield position is the heart of the team, I feel. They are the ones that control the attacking. They control what side to get the ball to, where the defenders are. They control the balls being played up over the top or at the feet, so if the midfield breaks down, the defense breaks down and the offense. You need that connecting part to connect the offense and the defense.

You played three years at Shenendehowa High School and as a senior, your team was a state semifinalist. What was it like going through that season undefeated leading into the playoffs?
Starting from preseason, each person on that team worked together and worked as a team. Everyone was committed and the team was very unified. We took one game at a time. Each game was played with heart and passion. As we won one game, we looked at the next opponent and their strengths and weaknesses and how we could exploit them.

What has been your favorite moment as a student-athlete at the University at Buffalo?
I think just being a part of a varsity team at the University at Buffalo has pretty much been my favorite moment. Beating Miami (OH) my sophomore year was the first time in nine years we beat them. That was only my second year, but during my freshman year, we lost to them and their fans had a huge impact on our game. Beating them at our home with the amount of fans we did have, I would say is one of my favorite memories.

- “The 10 Questions With…” feature is compiled by Joe Guistina.