Q & A With George Van Linder
10/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 8, 2008
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - During the 2008 season, first-year head coach George Van Linder will answer questions submitted by fans and media. Check this space every Wednesday for his thoughts on recent and upcoming games, as well as everything else pertaining to Ladyjack soccer.
Q: It's always nice to get a big win like the 10-2 victory you took against Prairie View in your final non-conference game. But was it more important than the end result, on a psychological level, for your team to finally break loose and put some big numbers on the board offensively?
A: Exactly. We had so many players who hadn't scored and have been so close, and we thought that once they got one, more would be on the way.
Q: Your SLC opener at Southeastern Louisiana was big in more ways than one. First, you got out to a good start in conference play with a 1-0 win, but your team also picked up its first road victory of the season and knocked off a team that hadn't lost at home in nearly two years. Do you think your team's early struggles on the road made its better prepared for the task in Hammond?
A: I think so. I also think that being an entirely new coaching staff to this conference that we didn't realize how hard it was to do what we did. We have been so focused on us, as a team we didn't know about that record until after the game. If that taught my assistants and the players anything, it was just to continue focusing on what we need to do. The challenge is within, so to speak.
Q: What were some of the highlights from the first weekend of SLC play, both on an individual and team basis?
A: We had a lot of highlights, I think we were so proud of the way the team had played defensively. We hadn't had a shutout since Centenary, the second game of the year, so we were very proud of doing that against a team that was averaging three to four goals per game. Individually, Amanda Alders was great, even though she doesn't have the large number of goals to show for it. Her work getting assists for her teammates and the way she attracts one to two defenders was great. She is the consummate team player, and I can see why the players selected her to be one of the captains.
Q: You will continue to be tested on the road this week when your team heads to Huntsville to take on Sam Houston State. The Bearkats are tied with SFA atop the league standings and have a seven-game winning streak. What kind of game do you expect on Friday?
A: Again, being new to it all, it should be interesting. I understand that Sam Houston is maybe SFA's biggest rival, so I expect it will be intense. They have a new coach who is a very good goalkeeper coach, so we expect their goalkeeper and defense to be solid and organized. Their long record of shutouts backs that up. They haven't lost in awhile, so I imagine they will be very confident. I imagine it will be a game that fans will love and coaches will be pulling their hair out over.
-- SFA --
• Got a question for SFA soccer head coach George Van Linder? E-mail your query to assistant director of media relations Brian Ross. Be sure to type "SFA Soccer Q&A" in the subject line and include your first name and hometown. Questions will be screened for content, and Coach Van Linder's responses will be posted weekly on Wednesdays, or as his schedule allows.
