TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati soccer head coach Erica Demers met with the media on Tuesday as the Bearcats prepare for a three-game homestand inside Gettler Stadium.
The Bearcats will welcome Bowling Green to Gettler Stadium on Thursday. The match will kickoff at 7 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+. They will host Illinois State on Aug. 27 and Central Michigan on Aug. 31.
Below are samples from Demers' press conference.
On the offseason and the beginning of the season
"We talk a lot about growth. I think every day we're just looking for our players just to give their best. When you have a new program and a new team and you're trying to build a new culture, I think road wins become even tougher. I think that's what we kind of saw. I'll be honest, I thought our kids like worked extremely hard against Michigan State. You're playing your first game against the number 17 team ranked in the nation, right? It's going to be hard at their place. Their fan base is incredible. We knew that was going to be such a huge challenge for us, but we fought. I think to only allow a team that scored 47 goals last season, only one (goal). I was proud of our team and I think it was a little bit disappointing how we performed on Sunday. I thought we were easily the best team against Dayton, but obviously, the scoreboard didn't show that. I think that game in general came down to individual errors that happen and we just didn't bounce back. But I think what we showed in the second half we want to add and build from that. I thought what we did in the second half was superior to them and we just couldn't get the ball on the back of the net unfortunately."
On key players on this years roster
"Anna Rexford number one, She's our goalkeeper. She was unbelievable, I think she had five or six like goal saving saves I would say against Michigan State just kept us in the game. So, she's one to definitely watch. Ashley Barron is our center back. She attested to this; I think she played her worst game of her career against Dayton. So, I don't think that's ever going to happen again. Definitely keep your eyes on her. Teni (Akindoju) our forward transfer from Texas. I think she brings an excitement to the game. She's extremely athletic and likes to get in behind and create chaos inside the box. So she's definitely one to keep an eye on. I think our team with 36 kids on our roster, which is typically a little bit larger than what you what you have in a team, I think you have 36 kids to keep an eye on."
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