Nov. 13, 2011

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Kentucky Head Coach Jon Lipsitz

Opening Statement…

“First of all, congratulations to Washington State for advancing. I’m not surprised how close the game was. I think the shot totals were exactly the same. The corners were exactly the same. I think they’re a very good team, and it makes me feel good to know what a great game it was and how far we’ve come to be playing them. There were a lot of ebbs and flows in the game. There were times when we seemed to be in control of the game, and so they made adjustments that I thought gave us trouble. We made adjustments to answer that. You could see those ebbs and flows. It seemed like one team was in control and then we switched. That’s part of the game and that’s part of athletics. When you go back and forth like that, you look for your moments. I’m sure they’re going to look back and feel like they had a couple moments when they felt like they could have won it. Obviously, we feel the same way. We had a break away in the first overtime that I think everybody on the bench knew the game was over. Kids were starting to creep onto the field to do a dog pile. It’s hard emotionally to go from that moment where you are ready to run onto the field to this moment. I can’t put into words how proud I am of this group. This is a team that was put at next to last in the preseason SEC poll. It’s a team that nobody outside of our team felt that we’d have a chance to play in the NCAA. To get to host for the first time since 1999 was incredibly exciting and we deserved it. There were really wonderful moments. I’m sure there will be times in the future where we look back and remember what a wonderful stepping-stone this was for the program. But, it doesn’t take away how this feels. And, I don’t try to take that away. It’s not okay right now. It doesn’t feel okay. It hurts. The only people that can feel how much this hurts are the people that put this much into something and have been in these moments in athletics, they know what it feels like. It’s very, very difficult. But, we’re proud of where we are and I’m very proud of this team. You always wonder how we would react to a first time and I thought we reacted admirably and with great bravery. It’s a very good team. Most of all, I’m really proud of these two. It’s not a coincidence that I asked them to come here with me. I told them after the game how much I loved them and how much they had done to get us to this point. The hardest thing for me is imagining tomorrow morning, getting up and not coming to coach this team. We had an amazing time this season. By making the NCAAs, we earned a couple more weeks of training and we had a great time every day. Just a great time on and off the field.”

On the feeling after the game…

“I wanted it so badly to give that game ball to (UK Athletics Director) Mitch (Barnhart). So badly to get us over the hump. I know that people look and say, ‘Wow they’ve come so far in three years.’ I’ve said this many times to the media, you always want more. I wanted that moment for them where all that work and all that cheering just comes true. I saw and we all saw a couple of those moments like when Natalie (Horner) had the diving header. It was unbelievable and that was a great save by the keeper. We know what it’s going to sound like in an atmosphere like that. I just wanted so badly to give that to them, to the fans. They’ve stood by us. They’ve cheered for us. What goes along with that, it’s hard for me to explain the amount of work that’s gone into preparing for this, from our sports turf, to event management, to marketing, to media. The amount of work, it’s unbelievable. The excitement I saw from people in the department has made me just realize. I’m sorry to them and to the fans that we couldn’t get over the hump. I’m not ashamed of the fact that we tied a game and (Washington State) advanced. I want a win for everyone in the department and I want a win for the great fans. Most of all I want a win for the players.”

On the future of the program…

“I appreciate you putting it that way but the fact is, it is what it is. The fact is, the season is over and at some point I’ll be ready for that. I’m very excited for the future of this program. We have a lot of great players coming back and obviously I can’t talk about specifics but we’re very excited about our classes coming in. One of the things I said to Kiondra (McGee) and Kelsey (Hunyadi) is that, ‘I’m so glad you guys got to play in the NCAA’s because otherwise it would have been you guys coming back in future years and me saying to you, look what you did. Look at this, this is you. You did this.’ It sure is a lot more fun to say, ‘You did this and you got to play in the NCAA’s.’ One of the reasons we’re so excited for the future is because of how far we got this year. We came further than we were supposed to. We’re excited because of now, not because of the future.”

Kentucky Players

#7, Kelsey Hunyadi, Sr., F

On how the penalty kick came about during the game for the first goal…

“We served it into the box and Natalie (Horner) slashed through in the penalty box. Their player literally took her arm and hit the ball. I think she was trying to get away with it and say it was by her side but it wasn’t. She swung through. It was a good call by the referee and I think both ways knew it was a penalty, but they had to argue it. I would have argued it if I were them. I would have done the same thing. It was the reason for the penalty kick.”

#15, Kiondra McGee, Sr., D

On how the team prepared for Washington State’s speed…

“They were really fast. I think we were really prepared for that. We tried to over shift so that we were covered and still had a cushion if they got around back, which they did a couple times. We also had our chances.”

Washington State Head Coach Matt Potter

Opening Statement…

“First of all, we’d like to thank the University of Kentucky for their great hospitality. It has been first class; the people behind the scenes that we have met have been incredible. It’s been first class and it has made it very comfortable for us which is obviously something for which we are very appreciative. Obviously we are excited to win the game and it played out to be exactly like we thought it would, a tight game with two great teams fighting to just play another game. We are obviously very proud of our players. Overall, the University of Kentucky was a great host, Jon (Lipsitz) and his team are, in many ways, very similar to us. We are very delighted to be progressing.”

On the second goal that was called back …

“We’re not sure if the referee had actually indicated if it was direct or indirect at all and we are not sure if the keeper got a touch on it at all. Delaney (Zalud) is never going to hit a ball like that again, the strike was world class. It was tough on us being called back, but those things happen in a game like this. We had the wind at our back in the second half, the wind play was a major factor in the game tonight, it didn’t ruin the game and I thought that was exciting for the people watching because it was definitely a very exciting game. With the wind at her back she hit it pretty well, but again it didn’t count so we have to keep playing.”

On the upcoming match with Virginia after playing them previously in the regular season …

“First and foremost, we are excited to have the opportunity to play again. Virginia is an incredibly gifted team and well coached. The night we played them they played some fantastic soccer so as a home fan it must have been fun to watch. We defended very well that night, we actually left the game disappointed in how we had gone about some of the game plan we had wanted so we hope to execute those a little more the next time around. They are very difficult to play at home but we are up to the challenge so we’ll get home and get a day of rest and then travel again. Like Ali (Fenter) spoke to, it’s nothing to us, we are just excited to have the opportunity to play again.”

Washington State Players

#4, Rachael Doyle, So., D

On if they have played a team with similar style of play as Kentucky …

“I think we have, they are a pretty direct team, obviously. I think we have played a couple teams like that, especially UCF. It’s just the style of play that we also have been set to play so we are used to it and we adapted to it pretty well tonight.”

#12, Ali Fenter, Sr., D

On the challenge of traveling so far …

“For us, we have had to do this multiple times this season so we are used to it. We have flown to Virginia and gone across the country a lot so really it was pretty natural for us.”

#7, Jacquelyn Roth, Sr., M

On the emotions of going through penalty kicks …

“When the final OT finished, I don’t think anyone on our team was nervous, we knew we were prepared and it was nice that we knew who was going to take them. We got up, took them and they probably didn’t go where we wanted them to go. If the goalie falls to the left you’re just going to go right over, it doesn’t matter where you place it as long as it’s in the back of the net.”