Athletes of the Week

Sarah Ehlinger
Women’s soccer
1. How is the team chemistry this season?
The dynamic of the women’s soccer team this year is one that every team strives to achieve. Not only are these girls fun to be around, but they’re incredibly hardworking and amazing soccer players. On and off the field, we enjoy each other’s company and have no problems being honest with each other and pushing each other.
Even when we lost our first few conference games, we pulled together and realized how good we could be. That attitude eventually took us near the top of the conference. I’m not sure I’ve ever been on a team where I genuinely liked every single player and enjoyed almost every practice! We’re all similar enough to goof around, and different enough to make goofing around really interesting.
2. How do you think other teams prepare to slow down the team’s incredibly potent offense?
Well, after they pee their pants a little, they like to man-mark the offense. Ha, like that’s going to do anything.
3. How are the new team members adding to the team this year?
The team got quite a few new players this year and each of them has very specific talents crucial to our team. Each one of them has already contributed on the field with defensive composure, an amazing turn, good crosses or a killer shot. And what’s best, all our new players have added to and fit so well with the character of the team.
4. What do you do to celebrate a blowout victory like you have won so many times this year already?
We usually don’t celebrate blowout victories – actually quite the opposite. We kind of cringe at how ugly some of our goals are. I recall a certain forward turning to me after one of her goals, shaking her head and saying “How did that go in?” Oh well, she redeemed herself plenty of times.
5. What is the coolest goal celebration you’ve ever done?
I would have to say, out of all the goal celebrations, the Jackie Bean Trip would have to top them all. After a goal at Beloit last season, and I got a good fist pump in there, Jackie Bean came to give me a high five. Too bad her cleat got stuck in my shoelace and we were both on the ground in an instant. Pretty intimidating stuff.Nico Walker
Men’s soccer
1. What is your typical pre-game ritual?
My pre-game ritual is to drink a Red Bull and take some Advil along with our regular warm up. I also like to claim that I will score several goals in the upcoming game but never actually score.
2. Though the team didn’t finish with a sublime record, how do you feel they performed over the season?
We were top of the conference in ties. How many teams can say that? I think that our team performed well over the season. We were sometimes unlucky and lost or tied close games that we could have won and with a few more wins we would be heading to the conference tournament.
3. What will you miss most about playing soccer after graduating this spring?
The thing I will miss most is SGPV, [or] scoring goals, pursuing victory. I will also miss having fun with all of the soccer guys on and off the field.
4. What has been your greatest memory in the last four years?
There have been a lot of great memories in the last four years. Playing in the conference tournament my junior year and the bus leaving for a game without Stevie Exarhos this year definitely stand out in my mind.
5. Between rooms 301, 401 and 419, which soccer quad in Sage would you say is the best?
They’re all full of jocks. Gross. If I had to choose one though I would choose 301, not because of the guys who live there but because of their Boom-Boom Room.