Aug. 7, 2008
OXFORD, Ohio - As the Miami University soccer team prepares for the 2008 season with much anticipation. Senior co-captains Courtney Elsen and Allison Berkey took some time to discuss what their expectations are for this season and what the RedHawk fans can expect when the season is kicked off.
Looking back at the 2007 season, what are your feelings as you prepare for 2008?
Courtney: We had a lot of potential to do a lot of great things last year. Everything that we did, we were not necessarily rewarded for in the final outcome. We played well in every game. Obviously, playing well does not give you the win every time. Transitioning into the spring, it was a complete 180. We got the results that we wanted and we played a tough schedule. I am just excited. It will be interesting and I hope people pay attention because it will be exciting.
Allison: Last year was tough. We had a lot of talent, but, because we were so new, it took us a while to get settled. This year, we have a lot of returners and a lot of newcomers, but you can see that the chemistry has already started. I am really excited and I think it is going to be a great year. I tore my ACL in the spring and will likely miss most of the season, if not all of it. But, I plan to always be here and be the best captain I can be.
You play a tough non-conference schedule. What are your thoughts on that?
Courtney: I am so excited. One of the best things we do is play good teams. My freshman year, we played Michigan and we beat them, 1-0, and that set us off on the right step. We have played Michigan three times now. Indiana is always a tough team, but we always play well against them and the same with Cincinnati and Louisville. They are just all strong teams, but we are a strong team as well. I love being challenged and I think it will be challenging.
|
|
 |
Allison: It is tough. It is a good way to start the season, though. Michigan, Indiana, they are all going to be tough games. It is better to get them over with and learn from them, before we hit MAC play. I like the fact that we play the tough games first, not that they all are not tough. But, it is good to be in those situations early on.
How do the international players add to your team?
Courtney: Actually, I spent this past summer in Europe. So I got to see the real culture of soccer or `futbol'. I went up to Sweden and visited the girls (Eva Candia and Sara Lund) there. The way that they think about the game is so much different that it is here. It is there sport, kind of like how American football is here. It is what they live and breathe and everyone talks about it. They bring a different culture, a different way of looking at the game. It is a lifestyle.
Allison: I think it is great. It is a new experience for all of us. None of us have played overseas, so we do not know anything about their playing style, and they do not know anything about ours. It may be a little difficult at first, but, chemistry-wise, everyone seems to fit in very well. I think it is an advantage for us.
As a team captain, what is your leadership style?
Courtney: I am very vocal. I try my hardest to do what I think is right and embody it. I tell people what I expect and if people are giving what the team needs, I will tell them. I also try to look out for everyone and make sure that everyone's voice is heard. I am very upfront and I am a physical player. That is why Allison (Berkey) and I work so well together because she is kind of the opposite. She takes care of everyone and is very understanding.
Allison: I used to try to lead by example. I obviously, now, have to change that. This year I am trying to be a bit more vocal. I am trying to be a support factor and an outlet that is not, necessarily, the coaching staff, someone that the girls can relate to. Courtney and I complement each other very well. She is very vocal and I am not, so we seem to complement each other in the areas that the other person is not as strong.
What kind of team will the Miami RedHawks be this year?
Courtney: The culture of Miami soccer in the past four years has done a complete turnaround. We are here to play soccer and we are here to win. The end goal, whether it is pretty, ugly, hard or easy, is to win. With this team, it will be pretty, and we will be successful. We have the talent and we have that new culture with us. It is exciting. We are different from teams in the past in that, we all get along. We push each other on the field and we are very competitive in practice but it stays on the field and I think that is what gives us our strength. We do not take it personally. We take it as that is what is going to make us grow and improve.
Allison: With the tough pre-conference games, we will benefit because we are still young. We will need to learn from our mistakes. Conference games, especially Sundays, will be a battle, because it is just about, `who wants it more.' But, it will be interesting. I am excited and I think it is going to be a good year.
What are your thoughts on the Mid-American Conference in 2008? Any predictions?
Courtney: We have always had the capability to be number-one in the MAC. We have always done well in the tournament. We have always just come up a little short and I am thinking that this year might be the year when that is not going to happen. If we stay on track and do what we are capable of doing then we can win the MAC. Every team and every game is different. Sometimes a team shows up on Sunday and they are completely different than the game they played on Friday. Each team has the ability of playing phenomenally and absolutely terribly. That is what makes it exciting to follow. Every team is a challenge and every game is a challenge. It keeps you on your toes.
Allison: I always look at BG (Bowling Green) as being tough. We always have a tough time when we go there or they come here, they always play well. Ball State, of course, is always the team to beat. We need to focus on getting wins out of those two games this year. In the MAC, anyone can win on any day. Sundays are crazy. It is always, `who wants it more.'
What was your path to Miami?
Courtney: I have played soccer since I was five. I was looking at several schools when I reached that age and had a terrible injury and so then I was not sure if I was going to go through with it. Miami was one of the schools that I was very interested in before I even thought about soccer. The first question for me, since I had already had an injury, was, `could I stay there if I did not have soccer?' And I could stay at Miami. Obviously, I want to play, but just in case, I wanted to make sure it was a place that I could fit in. It was the best decision I have ever made in my whole life. I love it.
Allison: I grew up in Cincinnati, so I was familiar with the school. My family had gone here. My parents are a `Miami merger' so I knew of Miami and Miami soccer. After we moved, my sister and I both came back to look here. I had been injured most of the end of my high school career, so I did not go through all of the recruiting and visiting. I talked to (former assistant coach) Kim La Belle about just trying out and going for it and it ended up working out for me. I love it and I would not change a thing.
What is it like playing for Coach Kramig?
Courtney: It is interesting! He is a great coach. He knows what he wants. What is interesting about him is that he goes beyond soccer when he teaches you things and thinks about the big picture. That is very valuable, especially at this point in our lives. He teaches us lessons about how what we do in soccer can be reflected in others things as well. I value the things that he has done for this team. I think he is great. I think he is a great coach.
Allison: It is good. I have not had a coach like him. I get Bobby and he understands me and all of our players. He really cares about the team and that is the most important thing in a coach. He is also confident in us.
Get Ready for Miami Soccer.
After an exhibition at Indiana on Aug. 16, the 2008 Miami University women's soccer team kicks off the regular season on Friday, Aug. 22 against Morehead State at 5 p.m. On Sunday, Aug. 31, the RedHawks host the University of Michigan at 1 p.m. Additional home contests against Cincinnati, DePaul and Louisville take place on Sept. 5, 12 and 14, respectively.
Following a west-coast swing that includes games at Sacramento State on Sept. 19 and San Jose State on Sept. 21, Miami opens Mid-American Conference play with their first Friday-Sunday games at Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan, respectively, on Sept. 26 and 28.
|
|
||
| MuRedHawks.com WEB | ||
