Aug. 29, 2008
The North Carolina field hockey team opens the 2008 season this weekend in Winston-Salem, N.C., playing Michigan Saturday and Iowa Sunday as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. As her team finished final preparations for her 28th season as the Tar Heels' head coach, Karen Shelton spoke with TarHeelBlue.com:
Karen Shelton on the team's preparation for opening the season:
"It's always an exciting time. We had the chance to scrimmage Wake Forest (last Saturday), going over there to the field that we're going to play on this weekend. So, I think our preparation has been very good. We're not ready yet, but I think we've hit the major points. Obviously you get better as the season goes on, but I feel like this preseason has been incredibly productive in terms of preparing us to play Michigan and Iowa. We're prepared to play back-to-back and I'm excited about that. When you go into a game, there is comfort in trusting your preparation and I think our players feel good about it."
On heading into the 2008 season on the heels of an NCAA title in 2007:
"I hate to let that year go - it was pretty darn special. But we've got to let it go. Hopefully that experience will help motivate this year's group. They know how much fun it was to win the national championship, and I think they're pretty darn hungry."
On the June trip to the White House for Champions Day:
"I didn't know what to expect but I really felt like it was an exciting and wonderful day, and I think our team thought so, too. It was educational in nature to have the tour of the White House and it was fun to be recognized among the other champions. It was something that exceeded all of our expectations."
On the feeling as she starts her 28th season:
"Every year is different, and I don't feel like it's getting old. Winning that championship last year has re-energized me. I think I was feeling some pressure about not getting to the final four - I think that's human nature - and to win it really kind of excited and energized and gave me the confidence that maybe was waning to now approach this year with renewed energy."
On the Tar Heels' freshman class:
" This freshman class is very solid. I'm excited about them. They are loving it - there's no homesickness, no whining and complaining, they're enjoying being in this environment. We'll have two that will contribute right away in Taryn Gjurich and Charlotte Verstraten, The rest of them are just learning every day and I'm so excited for them because they're all going to play for the University of North Carolina eventually."
On sophomore Katelyn Falgowski's experience at the Olympics and rejoining the team after returning to Chapel Hill last Saturday:
"I'm hoping she'd going to get some good rest this week. II want her to get some rest, be able to breathe and not feel stressed. I'm going to try to take as much pressure off her as I possibly can. She's been through a very emotional and grueling tournament and she needs some time right now.
"There's no doubt she'll be able to draw from that experience. She is an inspiration to her teammates - I think we're all very proud that she was the only college player on the U.S. Olympic team. Also beneficial is the fact that someone else has been able to play in her position, namely Elizabeth Drazdowski, who has stepped into the midfield during the preseason. She went from being only a forward to being a more versatile player, a more valuable player to our team because she's been able to play in Kate's spot. And now we're a deeper team because of it. It helps in all kinds of ways, some ways that we don't know about just yet."
On the UNC staff:
"I'm thrilled that our staff is unchanged for the third year because that gives us great stability and continuity. I think we have the best staff in the country. Both Grant Fulton and Baden Sharp have outstanding field hockey knowledge and they're also great coaches. Both of them had eventful summers -- they coached at the U.S. Field Hockey Women's National Championships and Grant also played in the men's tournament. And Baden welcomed a son this month. So it's been an exciting summer, but everyone is ready for the year.
"We're also lucky to have outstanding support from our strength and conditioning coach, Steve Gisselman. And having our video coordinator, Jarrett Alston, with us for the third year allows us to continue to build on what we've done from a video standpoint in terms of game preparation."
On the 2008 schedule:
"The ACC-Big Ten Challenge is always an exciting way to start the year. Our schedule pretty much stays the same from year to year - highlights are playing Old Dominion twice, Maryland, the ACC schedule. We are playing Longwood this year - we'll go up there. They have a beautiful complex, so I've heard, and we're excited to play somebody new and different.
"The tournament at West Chester, the Vonnie Gros Classic, is a homecoming for a lot of people. We have a lot of kids from Pennsylvania so they get to have their extended families and friends from high school come. That's always nice. Our alumni in the area tend to come so that's special, and there's also the fact that I went to school there and that the tournament honors my coach.
"The schedule is what it usually is - a challenge. It's a clean slate right now and we're looking forward to it."
