The University of Akron Athletics
Akron vs. West Virginia- NCAA Tournament Second Round
November 23 | Men's Soccer
Nov. 23, 2005
Recap | Box Score
West Virginia
Andy Wright - On the field conditions during the game:
"Obviously a lot more difficult than playing in nice circumstances, but it was the same for both teams."
Coach Mike Seabolt - On the conditions
"The game should not have been pushed back, it should have been played yesterday. Akron did not live up to their end of the bargain. They should have had the facility ready."
Coach Mike Seabolt - on the Mountaineers start
"I think we were playing well and we where were we wanted to be, somewhat in control of the game settling in pretty well. We just gave up a soft goal and soft goal against good teams are going to kill you every time."
Coach Mike Seabolt - on his yellow card
"It was an offside call. My very first game as a head coach I didn't go on the field and argue the call and after the fact it was proven correct that the call was wrong on tape. The referee told me once a call was made and kick-off was made they can never go back and reverse the call even if it was reviewed and is an incorrect call. So I said what can I do and he said to prevent the kick-off from happening and that is what I did. The referee was nice about it and I didn't say anything, I just walked on the field and I knew I would get a yellow card."
Coach Mike Seabolt - on Akron's ability
"It is hard to say because it was such an ugly game. Play them on a different day and I could give you a different answer. They are a good team, but it is hard to say on a day like this."
Andy Wright - on his battle with Akron's Yohann Mauger
"I remembered him from the spring and that he was a good player.
He is a foreign player and he is the type of player and he will do
the niggly things that the referee will not see. He will talk in
your ear and pinch you, the things that the referee does not see,
its clever.
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Coach Mike Seabolt - on Akron's play
"Akron has some experience and they did a better job using their hands early on every play and I think our guys tried to play the game a little too clean. I think that is the experience we need to gain."
Andrew Halsell - on Akron's play
"They get in your head. That kind of stuff distracts you from the game. That is what it is there for, to get in your head and get you off your game."
Coach Mike Seabolt - on his feeling about his program
"We have had a good season, I am proud of the guys. Akron has been where we are right now, they have been in this situation and taken their lumps and that is part of the process. To their credit, they have used it to get better and they had a great year, only losing one game all season. Currently I hope our team can do in the near future what Akron is doing. Going from a five win team to a tournament team in two years, you are going to take your lumps and it is how you respond to those days will determine what kind of team you will have."
Coach Mike Seabolt - on Akron's chances at Connecticut
"They go to UConn? I do not think they will beat UConn. Pro-Big East"
Akron
Corey Sipos - On the start for Akron in the NCAA Tournament
"Compared to last year we didn't do so well, but this year it was a big step."
Yohann Mauger - on the conditions playing to their advantage
"The important thing was for us to be focused on what we were doing and the technical parts of the game will follow."
Matthew Tutich - on the field conditions and the weather
"It was a little tough during warm-ups, but once the game got going you are just in the zone focusing on the game and the weather does not matter much."
Corey Sipos - on Akron getting the first goal and the momentum
"I think it was huge. It allowed us to get down and play rather than just sit in and defend. It allowed us to do what we wanted to do."
Matthew Tutich - on his two goals
"The first one was off the corner. Ross (McKenzie) made a good run to the middle and got his head on the ball and flicked it to the far post where I was fortunate to get on the other end of it. The second one, I just got my foot on the ball. Amico (DiFranco) made a good run across the box and the ball found my foot and I just put it in."
Coach Lolla on Coach Seabolt's comments about the game's delay to Wednesday
"I think if you look at the result today, he would have preferred that. I do not mean that because of the score. I just mean that we are a team that likes to keep the ball moving, it is about how quickly we can get the ball moving and get them on their heels. I can tell you that that would not have happened last night with the amount of snow that was on the field. The ball would not have rolled and I am sure they are upset because the conditions last night would have favored them a bit. I think when you asked the referees, the NCAA rep and the University of Akron, I think it was an overwhelming majority that the conditions last night where not good enough to play."
Coach Lolla on Coach Seabolt's comment about the preparations for the game on Tuesday.
"We were watching the forecast as close as anyone and I was telling our guys that the forecast for Tuesday was a chance of rain in the morning and 40% chance of snow during the day. So as coaches the weather caught us off guard, should the facilities department have caught it, I do not know. But I am proud of the facilities department for how they cleared the field for today. Also, if you look at UConn, it was not like we where the only game that was delayed a day.
The game was played. It was played on a decent field, in a fair atmosphere. We had to deal with the same things. When I told my team at 6:15 that the game was delayed it was a let down to us as well. If you ask our guys we would prefer to play at night, just to have the crowd and the atmosphere, but I think the NCAA and the University made a good decision."
Coach Lolla on his defense
"The defending we do as a team has been exceptional all year long. It is not Evan (Bush), it is not he center backs, it is everybody. Everybody has to take ownership of what we do defensively. We get a shutout today and Evan gets the stat, but it is a team shutout and it takes everyone to take care of that."
Coach Lolla on his team's overall play
"I think we did a lot of things well today. I thought we finished our chances well. Getting the second goal just before halftime was huge, because it put the pressure on West Virginia in the second half. I know we defended well, they are big on restarts and I thought we did a good job in neutralizing that. We came out focused, sharp and prepared to play and we intend to do the same thing at UConn."
