The midfielder, with a knack for creating offense, has been an integral part of the Pioneers' soccer team for four years. Here's an interview with him after Hill-Murray's 1-0 victory over Waconia in the Class 1A semifinals.
Seems like a stupid question, but how big is making it to the finals? It's huge. Before this year, I had never been on a team that won a section game. … It's unbelievable. This is so awesome.
What has changed from previous years? We're older and more experienced. This is the last chance for us seniors.
Talk about your team's attacking style: We always try to come out fast. We get most of our goals in the first 10 minutes of a game. We like to put the pressure on right away.
How does that help your team? It puts the other team right on their heels. It give us the flow of the game and lets us control the pace.
Do you like the Metrodome turf? Yes. It gives predictable bounces. It's really nice.
Against Waconia, your team had numerous chances to score more than one goal. Were you worried? No, not really. Obviously we wanted to score more, but one goal was enough.
How did you handle the pressure? We practice [those situations] so much. Our coach preaches playing tough in the last five minutes, so we had to stay focused and kick those last ones out.
