TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

It felt nice to hear my name called over the loudspeakers finally after about 60 games. I was kind of surprised, the ball just popped out to me and I put it in. It felt good obviously…it was about time I got one.

2. Your team recently played at Saint Louis, who was ranked seventh in the nation by College Soccer News, and you came away with a 3-3 tie. What does that do for this team knowing that you can play even with top-ranked teams on the road?

It just shows everybody on our team, especially the younger players, that we can play with anybody. Sometimes when you play somebody like that on the road you might get nervous. It also shows people around the nation that Buffalo is a team to be reckoned with, it shows them that we can play with anybody. One field, two teams, we will play with anybody.

3. About half of your team is new this season from last season, how has the transition been bringing in so many new players?

In the beginning it was definitely hard, especially in preseason. In soccer you have to know how the guy next to you is going to play and I can see now that we are really gelling as a team, but it was hard in the beginning.

4. The men’s soccer team has ten international players on its roster. What does having so many foreign players bring to your team?

You definitely learn different styles of play. Everyone from every different culture plays this game a different way, that’s the beautiful thing about soccer. You learn things not only about the game but off the field you learn so much too. I’d never met people from other countries until now, but now I have friends from seven or eight different nations, so it’s pretty cool.

5. When did you begin playing soccer?

I started playing soccer when I was four. I have no clue how I got into it but it was the first sport that I ever played and it has been the only sport that I have ever played organized, so I stuck with it. I have no clue how I started but it was the first thing I tried and I stuck with it.

6. You play all of your home matches on “sportexe momentum” turf at UB Stadium, what is it like playing home matches on turf and does that give you an advantage over opponents that traditionally play on grass?

I like the turf because I think that it gives us an advantage. Most teams play on grass so when teams come here to play on the turf they aren’t ready for it. We play on it all the time so we know how to play on it. The pace is faster on turf, so I think it gives us an advantage and I definitely like playing on it.

7. Right now the men’s soccer team is leading the MAC, what do you have to do to sustain that and win the conference championship?

We just have to be persistent and keep working hard like we have been. We’ve been working really hard in practice and I think that it’s showing in the standings. We know that we have a long way to go still, the older guys that have been here have seen what it takes to get to the MAC Championship and now we just have to take that extra step to win it all.

8. Do you have a pre-match routine and, if so, what is it?

My pre-match routine is pretty interesting. Before anything, everybody knows that I need a Twix Bar and an orange Gatorade in the locker room. I also need to listen to very slow music to relax me. I get some crap from the guys about the music but it works and I’ve done it everyday since I’ve been here.

9. What do you like to do in your free time?

I like to play sports and watch sports. I’m a big NFL fan and NBA fan. I actually follow the NFL and some other sports more than I do professional soccer so I’m pretty much just an avid sports fan.

10. What has been your favorite moment so far as a student-athlete at UB?

I actually have more than one. First, in 2005 when we made the MAC Finals against #2 nationally ranked Akron and tying them, going all the way to penalty kicks. It gave us a taste of what its like to win the MAC, we were that close. Then tying Saint Louis, number seven, on the road, that was a great moment also. There are so many great moments that it’s hard to pick out just one. I’ve enjoyed being a student-athlete here.