SOCCER | TENNESSEE TECH POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE - 08/29/24

you're a little worried that the weather delay would affect you one way or the other ah weather delay is always difficult CU it's a little bit of adversity you know but um being at home is always nice we've got all the things that we need in there to take care of business and you know for us we were really chomping it the bit to get out there you know after halftime we felt that the girls were had full of energy but this is an experienced group great leadership so there was no doubt that they were going to come out from the weather delay and and deal with that adversity in the way that they did the offense we've seen uh it's just been a lot better throughout these first five matches what do you what you see especially on that that play where you guys did capitalize was a really nice team goal the with the passing and footwork CRA the crazy part today is that I thought we played really really well um particularly in possession I thought I mean we created so many chances um you know credit to Tennessee Tech they defended really really well particularly in the Box um you know we've hit the crossbar twice we've hit the post we've had Keepers made two great saves so you're only worried as a coach when um you're not creating chances but we do have to start putting the ball in the back of the net a little bit more often and capitalizing on chances that we're creating but it's going to come um it's just a matter of when but listen you know this level there's so much parody um to get a to get the goal was really really important we knew it was coming it was just a matter of when but it was nice to see the ball hit the back of the net when itana finally put it in it was a nice team goal for sure and speaking of that goal obviously she comes through clutch on senior night what have you kind of seen from her not only on the pitch but off the pitch as well as a leader in the locker room itana has only being here what just over a year but she's made a huge mark on this program both you know like you said in the locker room just through her personality she's a person that everybody can talk to um she's bubbly she's energetic she's got a great sense of humor um usually against me most of the time um but obviously she scored some huge goals for us you know both last year and this year here and she's somebody that's always Alert in the Box she can finish all different types of goals and so um today's was a was another example of her being in the right place at the right time and obviously it was very emotional for all the seniors you know everybody's just full of emotions and obviously celebrating their time here at Mississippi State just how was that celebrating those seniors that have meant so much to this program and done so much to that to this program for you very emotional day um you know we came here you know five years ago and you know these a lot of these girls have been with us for a long long time but even those that haven't been with us you know some of the transfers um they've made such a massive impact on this program and you know changed the perception on a national scale and broken so many records you know both um in terms of NCAA tournaments SEC play you name it they they've been great and they've been great you know not just on the field but in the classroom and you know in the locker room Etc so they we challenged them to leave the jersey in a better place and each and every single one of them has done that tenfold and we can't thank them in it there's no there's no amount of words that we can say that can thank them for what they've done for this program a lot of the quality talent that we got in there that's young they're here because of the you know the culture that these guys have said and and the success they've had so emotional day glad it's over a little bit right now you know we can celebrate and uh we'll have a banquet tomorrow night so we'll get to really celebrate then and obviously get ready for Sunday's game we can say away that M I guess just what what's it been like you and 10 other seniors that youall recognize what's that Bond been here I mean some of us have been here all five years since the coaches got here and so especially with me Macy and L we were the original Three that were here and so um just being able to grow with them and then add more people to that group it's just been phenomenal I mean we just have so many memories together and I'm very thankful for all those group of girls when the ball is uh in the other end uh so much of the game obviously I'm sure you're grateful for that but you know what's it like just to to sort of sort of command the defense and make sure everyone's in the right place and where they need to be and you know you're always sort of barking out instructions I hear them yeah it can get kind of boring sometimes cuz the ball is in the end but um I don't find myself as bored as much because of how much we need to organize on to kind of be preventative Drago always tells us like what's next what's next and so that's what I'm thinking like if the ball goes out this way like how can we shift so I'm always just kind of during these games trying to keep my brain engaged to be like what's next what's next to help me like not get lazy and stuff obviously don't want to make you emotional but just obviously on senior night what is it meant for you to be here at Mississippi State and to be a buld I mean it's meant the world to me it's been the best 5 years that I've ever had and I'm so thankful that um I decided to come here all those many years ago um but I'm very thankful for all the memories all the people and just I don't feel like at any other school I'd have such a big family aspect of like just being loved on so much by my teammates my coaches like the fans everyone in the community I just go places and people are so nice and they're like hey like how's your day and I'm just so thankful to be here I mean it's been such a special five years I wouldn't trade it for anything score a goal on S tonight how'd that feel well it was very very special to me I think as long as I help the team doesn't matter if it's an assist isn't a goal um but very very special um I did it for for my class um my mom came all the way here from Spain so that meant a lot to me take me through the the play a little bit it seemed like the the goalkeeper was not expecting you to first time it there you were really in sync there with your teammates U take where you saw that um Hannah got and got that ball she just said it to me I said the goalkeeper was a little bit shifted to her left and I was just like okay first time if I take a touch she's going to have enough time to make a save so I just went for it and it works really well obviously a very emotional night senior night just talk about what it's meant for you to compete here at Mississippi State and be a buldog well I'm a transer student I've been here for for a year and a half but uh being this far away from home this feels like a family um no matter what like I I'm going to have my sisters here um something happens to me they're always always here for me um and I'm just really really grateful for them and I can wait to to see what the future holds them and obviously coach Armstrong mentioned some of the banner that happen between you two what's your relationship like with Coach Armstrong and how has it been learning on him well we love each other but we have a very very similar sense of humor so um whenever he's like teasing me and like trying to be trying to be mean I just I'm I'm mean bag so he doesn't take that really well but but I'm really really grateful for him and I I love him he dishes it out he can't take it sometimes he cannot take it sometimes I I leave him speechless what differences have you noticed between last year and this year offensively just seems like you guys are able to at least in non-conference play here able to generate a lot more chances and you know it's it's translated into the the scoring as well well I feel like having one more player on the Midfield uh helps a lot cuz um we just have a three B we playing with a three back so having more players attacking wise and I think the most important thing is the depth that we have we have different players that can play different positions that can score a lot of goals we have different SC goal scoring people so I think I think that's the very very difference between between last years and this year