So here with the Elmira College Soaring
Eagles following a 2-0 victory over
the Adrian Bulldogs in the first round
of the NCAA tournament, coach would you
like to start with an opening statement? Yeah, I mean it was an unbelievable game,
much like our NCAA game last year against them, I thought back and forth and as a spectator,
it must have been a tremendous game to watch, and credit to Adrian, they had a
really great season, we were just
fortunate enough that I'm on top today,
and we had incredible goaltending from
Kelsey and we needed made a play in
third period, we did, so I think we're
excited about next weekend, and we prepared
this week for them and I thought we
executed really well on our game plan so
we'll look forward actually getting into
Plattsburgh.
We have Maddie Evangelous, Kelcey Crawford, and Sarah Hughson with us as well, maybe
the seniors, would you two like to touch
on getting such a tight win and one on the
offense at the end of the ice one of the
defensive end ice, what was a game like
today? Stressful. I told the girls I didn't want to be that interesting,
so that was definitely but it's exciting
you know it's a really good way to kind
of start bringing the senior season to a
close, and I mean it's really exciting
but way too stressful.
Yeah, I agree completely that those are
the games we are here to play that's why
we come here, and
that's just exactly what we want to do. Maybe less stressful, but it was fun, it was definitely a lot of fun
and that's all that really matters.
Maddy this same team, who obviously we
played in Michigan last year, went into
overtime, stressful again last year, just
as stressful this year, you want to talk
about how it feels right now
to be on the other end of that score?
It's surreal like I said with Bob earlier in
being it was surreal that we're here and
to actually get the win was amazing.
Open up for questions from the media.
Well I think you said it succinctly
Maddie, when we thought prior to the
start of the game today about this group
playing as a cohesive unit and I think
all we have to do is take a look at
these statistics and everybody has contributed
in major form and you getting that empty
netter talking about that one. Well I
wanted to shoot it initially and then I
knew she thought I was gonna shoot it, so I
kind of deked and just put it in, I mean it was an amazing feeling knowing like I put it
in and were moving on. I mean what was
the message going from the second period
to the third period for you guys, what
obviously now scoring goal, but what's
the biggest focus and what you guys
talked about in the locker room? I mean I first think
think just to have solid D and just to throw
everything on net, you know we haven't
gotten as many chances as we wanted and we weren't really putting as much to
net as we were hoping to, so I think
that going into the third it was just to
put everything on net, crash, and then let's hope that we get a lucky bounce, so
I think that was the main message going forward. Yeah, we definitely knew that we had to stay system strong
and the team that was going to come on top was gonna be the one who wanted it
the most and we wanted that, I mean
that's what we talked about, playing
system strong, getting it deep, and not
causing any turnovers. What's going
through your mind when you get the puck
right in front of the net and you saw it
go in? Oh, it was unreal.
I didn't know it went in until I was behind the net, and then I was like "that's in".
Had nobody made any noise, I would have felt like I was all by myself, but it was unbelievable.
How'd that superstition workout for you coach?
You wouldn't let me interview in any
other spot but that one place around the
table before the game today.
Yeah, well it ended up working out. The team I gave me a little bit of
ribbing a little bit with my shirt-tie
combo, but this is the same one we wore it in Norwich when we beat them there, so I mean
obviously I'm a little bit over the top
sometimes with that stuff, but it ended up
working out today for us. All three of
you players have been in a situation
having played Adrian before, here's the
third time, what was the difference
overall, I mean frayed nerves
notwithstanding, I mean 40 minutes almost
50, 60 minutes of hockey action with no
score and then bang bang you're right
out in front. A good launching pad for you
for the semi-finals now? Anyone of you?
Both look at me. Absolutely, I mean like we said earlier that we wanna
go the hard way, I mean we want to
fight to the end,
and playing a close-knit game like that
is important for us moving forward
because we need to be on top. Any
preference who you'd like to see? Oh, well we know
and we are more than excited to play them.
But the season overall, and the opponents
that you've played and they've been top,
nationally-ranked teams, and it doesn't
seem like your team has blinked
whatsoever, love adversity? Kelcey? Yeah, I mean I would say so and I think that this game
was so important for us today because there have been times that we've struggled with it
this season you know in the past and to
show that we have come over that and we
are a better team than we were at the
beginning of the season and we have
grown and we are right where we're
supposed to be, so I think that you know
it's just absolutely huge to have this,
to be in this position and moving
forward, I think it's exactly where we're
supposed to be. I know you guys touched on it
a little bit, how does it feel to be on
the other end this year? Yeah, it's pretty great.
I think, you know last year, especially
having to travel home as well after that
loss, absolutely sucked. Yeah, you know it's nice all around, its awesome, amazing doing at
home, the fans were - oh, it was unreal -  yeah, and
there was, it was such an environment,
they really, I think that that was one of
our big game-changers today as well - yeah, our fans. What's really good to see,
is you don't have the game face on, you're smiling, so
you look through a program and I guarantee that about 20 out of 21 pages, you got that game face on.
Congrats to you all, from my perspective, I always ask for a good
broadcast game, and you certainly delivered today. Any other questions? Thank you.
