Aug. 3, 2009

Long Beach, Calif. -

After clinching the number one spot in the Big West last season, what are your plans this in 2009 to continue Long Beach State's soccer success?
We will continue to take things one day at a time, making sure we are giving our best in trying to get better every day. Those good days will add up and translate to our play. We have established that mentality over the past few seasons and that has allowed us to stay at the top of the conference standings for three straight years. I'm looking forward to integrating our new players to our program. That will be a big key to our continued success.

How would you describe your coaching philosophy?
We like to play with the ball on the ground, taking the initiative through team oriented possession. We like to think that our fans appreciate our style, and we strive to win through that identity on the pitch.

What are you most looking forward to in the 2009 season?
The 2009 season will be an exciting one. I'm most looking forward to the preseason training. I love the feel of a brand new year where we start with renewed possibilities, and the preseason is where we can have some of our greatest impact as a staff. It will be exciting to see our new players integrate themselves with our returners.

This season the team is facing four consecutive games on the road, traveling to Kansas, Missouri, and then two games in Boston. What are the biggest challenges in such a long stretch away from home?
On the road, teams face many challenges. We like to establish the mindset of "Road Warriors," minimizing setbacks with positive mentality. Those four games will be great tests for our team. We are looking forward to growing as a team through that difficult stretch of games.

With ten new incoming players, who should fans be on the lookout for in the 2009 season?
We have some solid players coming in to complement a good group of returners. New players have a lot to learn in a hurry, but if all goes according to plan, we should have four or five starters out of the newcomers. Karina Camacho has the experience and the soccer savvy to make an immediate impact in the midfield for us. Alex Balcer is a great addition to our back line. And Jenny Soza adds a lot of speed to our attack. With the freshmen, it all depends on their ability to adjust to the level of play, both physically and mentally. There will be some great battles for playing time during our preseason, that's for sure.

If fans can only come out to one game this season, which game do you consider a can't miss match up?
I think the UCLA match at George Allen Field on August 30th is a must-see game. They have been to five straight final fours, so it will be a great test for us.

What is the biggest challenge facing your 2009 squad?
The biggest challenge for our team will be replacing the leadership that we lost through the departure of 11 seniors. We had a great spring during which a lot of our players stepped up, and we were able to establish an identity on and off the field, which was the main goal for us during spring. With only one true senior on the team, we need to replicate that senior mentality of playing every day like it's your last.

Last season your team had seven players awarded with Big West All-Academic Honors. How important is to you for your players to be a strong in the classroom as they are out on the field?
College athletics is a wonderful experience for the student-athlete. We make sure that our students understand that soccer is the vehicle and is temporary, but their education is the goal and it lasts a lifetime. We have a culture of high achievement in the classroom at Long Beach State, having been nationally recognized in four of the last five seasons by the NSCAA for academic excellence. We also boast an Academic All-American in Amanda Perry, as well as several Academic All-District student-athletes over the past four seasons. And this year, we welcome our first Presidential Scholar soccer player in Kelsey Welton-Baldwin. Success in the classroom goes hand in hand with our success on the field.

If you could sum up the Long Beach State's 2009 team in one word, what would it be? I prefer a phrase that one of our supporters uses often: "Bring it on!"

How important is it to you and your team to see the support of fans out at all the home games? Fan support has been key for us over the past few seasons. The energy we get from our fans being so close to the action is fantastic and a great motivator for our girls. There have been many halftime speeches in which we point to the crowd, that's extremely motivating to our players to see that they represent an entire city, and it is a huge source of pride for our team. We hope to be able to continue to grow our fan support, and we hope to see all our great fans out in the stands this season.