TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

You hail from Centennial, CO., What made you decide to come to UB?

I was looking for a bigger school that had a lot of students, which UB has. I wanted a school that had nursing, which is my major and I wanted it to have I-A football. I enjoy going to football games. Overall, out of all the schools I looked at, UB was the best fit.

This season, the Bulls have defeated both cross-town rival Canisius and regional-rival St. Bonaventure. How exciting is it to own victories over those two teams at UB stadium in 2006?

It’s always important to win games at home and especially against the hometown teams just so you can have hometown pride and show that you’re the best of Buffalo. When we came out with those two victories it was a great feeling.

You opened up your MAC season on the road against Miami (OH) and Ball State. Last year, the Bulls didn’t make the playoffs for the second year in a row. How determined is this team to not let that happen again?

We really want to come out of the MAC with a big bang, we have a new motto this year of “get it done”, throw everything aside, play for each other and play to win. We’re not willing to take the defeats we took last year and I think we have that heart and determination this year that we haven’t had in past years.

Dating back to the Fall of 2003, women’s soccer has sustained above a 3.2 GPA every semester and you personally are a UB scholar-athlete. How hard is it to balance school and soccer, considering you are practicing, playing and traveling before classes even start?

I find it very difficult to balance both soccer and classes, especially having a major that requires me to be off-campus or traveling around. It’s a lot of time spent up late nights and a lot of time on the road that you’re studying, reading books and studying for classes.

Last season you earned NSCAA Scholar All-East Region Third Team honors after switching from forward to central back. How hard was it to make that transition and why do you think you enjoyed such success?

It wasn’t too difficult, I had played defense when I was younger so it wasn’t completely new, but it was a bigger position than I had ever played before. I think I came out last year with a “no regrets” attitude and just played to have fun and I think that is why I was so successful at the position.

A handful of newcomers and underclassmen have had an immediate impact on the team so far this season. With you being just one of two seniors this year, how important has it been for the younger players to step up?

Well, with not having very many upperclassmen on the field, it’s hard, just because you don’t have that experience. We have had to have the younger players step up so that we have a core group of players who can go out there and win games.

How difficult is it to adjust to the weather during the season considering the fact that when you commence play it is summer and towards the end of the season snow is a possibility?

I personally never get used to the weather change. Its always hard playing in rain or playing in snow, especially on the turf, it’s real difficult just because the ball skips around and you never know what kind of bounce it’s going to take when the ground is rock hard, due to being frozen or when its raining.

As of last season, all soccer matches have been played at UB Stadium on state of the art “SportExe momentum” turf. How difficult was it to switch from traditional grass to turf?

When we play at home, there’s a noticeable difference. It’s so hard to go from an away game that’s played on grass to our home stadium just because the speed of play is different, the ball bounces differently, everything is different on turf, for good and bad reasons. It’s difficult, even now, even though we’re used to playing on the stadium field. It will always be a transition when we’re going from home to away games.

If you could be a member of any other team at UB, what team would you choose and why?

I would have to say football, just because of the fact that I have always loved watching the sport. I think it’s a very competitive sport with a lot of contact and I think it takes a lot of talent. It’s just something I have always loved watching, so if I could play it, I would love to.

What has been your favorite moment as a UB student-athlete?

Just in general, I think the away trips. They’re always a blast, to have fun with the girls and you get to bond with the other girls. You’re spending six, seven, eight hours on a bus with someone and you get to live with them for the next four or five days, on and off for nine weeks of your life. I just think the bonding and the time you get to spend with your teammates is awesome.

“The 10 Questions With…” feature is compiled by Jackie O’Brien.