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#UNC's Clare Gagne, Kate Faasse, Maddie Dahlien and Damon Nahas after advancing to NCAA final
Dec 7, 2024
Carolina eliminated #Duke 3-0 in a semifinal of the Women's College Cup
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0:19
now joined by the North Carolina
0:21
Hills we have with us head coach Damon
0:23
mayos along with student athletes Claire
0:26
gagy Maddie Dalene and Kate FY we'll
0:31
have an opening statement again from
0:32
coach then questions for the student
0:34
athletes we'll let them go and then
0:36
Coach will take questions after
0:39
that thank you um first I want to uh pay
0:44
a great amount of respect to Robbie um
0:47
you know Robbie's been a friend of mine
0:48
for a long time before I even came to to
0:50
UNC and um an extraordinary career you
0:54
know and for us it's just about
0:55
respecting every you know our opponents
0:56
and for me to have the relationship with
0:58
him over the years and then have the
1:00
opportunity to compete against him over
1:01
the last eight years has been a lot of
1:03
fun and he's been a good friend of mine
1:05
so um I just want to put a lot of
1:07
respect out to him and um
1:09
congratulations to him and and their
1:11
team for the season uh for me I'm just
1:13
you know this is really about them this
1:14
has been a an extraordinary year uh
1:17
tonight was an extraordinary night um
1:20
you know just the determination from
1:21
this team the will not you know we talk
1:24
about refusing to lose and that's
1:25
exactly who they are this is a special
1:27
group um and uh they deserve this they
1:30
earned it and uh we're going to be ready
1:32
for uh a few more days to get ready for
1:34
w
1:34
Forest questions from the room in the
1:36
back um that's probably the first time
1:39
I've ever heard players address a coach
1:42
by his first name and I guess it just
1:43
speaks to Robbie being type of guy he is
1:47
does that speak to what the league is
1:49
losing in him I mean his career ending
1:51
and you guys being able to call him his
1:53
first name and knowing even though he's
1:54
a hated rival that he's still a great
1:56
coach and me so much to you guys in the
1:58
leag
2:07
I think it just speaks to um how much we
2:09
respect him as a coach I mean we played
2:11
Duke four times this year and every game
2:13
is a battle and I think you know our
2:15
time here we've just seen how amazing of
2:17
a side that Duke has brought and that's
2:18
Testament to how um Robbie has coached
2:21
them and I think he would be stupid to
2:24
not understand how much of a legacy that
2:26
Robbie had at Duke and I think we just
2:28
have all the respect for him and we know
2:30
that they had an amazing season and it
2:31
didn't work out for them today but you
2:33
know they put in a really good fight and
2:35
we always put in a battle against them
2:36
and we just wanted to make sure that we
2:38
really pay the respect to him because
2:39
he's had an amazing career at
2:43
Duke okay so before the season you had
2:46
four goals in your 40 college games and
2:49
now you just scored your 20th as the top
2:51
scorer in N soccer
2:54
what what what went into you know kind
2:57
of developing into that player and in
2:59
the year did you know this was going to
3:01
be a breakout season for you um I think
3:04
I've kind of had a different role every
3:06
season for this team um I knew when
3:10
obviously we've had a different year
3:11
this year when we had everyone leave and
3:13
I knew when MD was at the u20s and Liv
3:14
was out for a little bit that I was
3:17
going to have to step up into that um to
3:19
be that player for this team I've had
3:20
the experience of being on this team for
3:23
three years and I knew that I could help
3:25
out the young ones on the team and just
3:26
lead them um and honestly I owe it all
3:29
to my team because um they trust me and
3:32
they put me in those positions to be
3:33
able to be scoring these goals and in
3:36
respect to Damon um he's instilled this
3:39
confidence in me that I can do it and
3:41
even if I miss or shank a ball that he
3:44
believes in me to take the next one and
3:45
keep going
3:53
so ask you that obviously the dominance
3:58
of car
4:14
I think in regards to the underdog
4:16
mentality we really just embraced kind
4:18
of being a rookie team like we do have
4:20
some people coming back we do have some
4:22
experience and we have experience in
4:23
number of years but um it was really an
4:27
opportunity for us this season to kind
4:29
of like like just really step into that
4:32
role and for every person who's stepping
4:33
on the field to really have that
4:36
opportunity to prove themselves and I
4:37
think like that runs really deep in a
4:40
team's ability to kind of like grind
4:42
through tough moments and show up for
4:43
each other and I think that's the
4:44
biggest thing is that we stepped into
4:46
this season knowing that we were going
4:47
to just show up for each other and play
4:49
for each other every day and that's
4:51
what's gotten us this far along with
4:53
Damon and um his ability to kind of like
4:56
bring us together and play for something
4:57
bigger so um yeah I think that Underdog
5:00
mentality is is really rooted in our
5:03
ability to kind of see beyond the field
5:06
and see what we're playing for and who
5:08
we're playing for and um yeah one more
5:11
game to really prove that um we know
5:14
what we're playing for I think I also
5:16
just want to add um Damon's ability to
5:19
you know put together a roster who had
5:21
one returning starter coming back and
5:23
his ability to have us tactically sound
5:26
going into every single game I think
5:28
just speaks to the his level of coaching
5:30
and how amazing he is and how amazing of
5:32
a job he's done with us this year I mean
5:34
I don't think any other coach could
5:36
coach us how well he's coached us this
5:37
year and I think that just speaks to you
5:40
know yes we are The Underdogs but he
5:42
makes us go on the field not The
5:43
Underdogs
5:53
so it seems like in the post you guys
5:56
stepped up what has been different in
5:57
the
5:58
postally comp those two
6:05
eares um I think oh you want you want it
6:09
oh gosh okay um I think Damon put
6:11
together really good tactical plan for
6:13
us I think playing them now for the
6:15
fourth time we kind of knew what we were
6:17
expecting but obviously teams can come
6:18
out playing different um we went in with
6:21
no fear that was our kind of model today
6:23
no fear um and I think from the gcko uh
6:28
we just had momentum with us and we
6:29
didn't let down we didn't let our foot
6:30
off the break even when we were up um
6:32
and I think that played a big role in
6:34
the outcome today um and yeah anything I
6:38
would just Echo that that no fear thing
6:41
that Kate said I think um kind of going
6:43
back to a lot of what Maddie said um
6:45
Damon has really given us the confidence
6:47
to step forward into a moment like that
6:48
and know that we're prepared and know
6:50
that we have the tools that we need to
6:52
succeed and I think there have been
6:54
times in the past and past Seasons where
6:55
I've played a team multiple times and
6:57
kind of had that anxiety that like
6:59
something might go differently or
7:00
they've seen us play but I think um
7:02
Damon really shapes the narrative in a
7:04
way that you know we we have the power
7:06
in that situation we've seen them play
7:07
we have their Scout um and they have to
7:10
adjust to us as well so I think um just
7:13
like having that confidence and having a
7:15
coach that can instill that kind of
7:16
confidence in you um is really huge in a
7:18
moment like that I think sorry I also
7:22
think just peing at the right time I
7:23
mean you saw like performances from
7:25
Olivia Thomas I think that was the best
7:27
game she's played all season and I think
7:29
Evelyn Shor is coming back for us like
7:31
we're finally getting the pieces of our
7:32
game back that have been missing and I
7:34
think we're just jelling at the right
7:35
time and I think for us to like our
7:38
forward line like we're just finally
7:39
connecting and finding each other and
7:41
that's just been so instrumental I think
7:43
going into the postseason so for a
7:45
couple more in the back this is for
7:48
Ken I know obviously you guys have a
7:50
game to focus on for Monday and
7:52
obviously tonight's game but you had
7:53
conversations with uh UNC leadership of
7:56
Bubba to try and say he Damon's the guy
7:59
saying all night so far everything is
8:02
because of him what's been going
8:03
on multiple times yes um I don't think
8:09
um it goes un said that we think Damon
8:11
deserves a head coaching job and I think
8:13
that the win tonight should speak for
8:15
itself um we believe in him and he
8:17
believes in us and I think that he
8:20
should 100% have the head coaching talk
8:23
yeah I think it speaks volume of what
8:24
we're doing out here I think people
8:26
count are continuously doubting us and
8:28
doubting his ability to be able to coach
8:30
this type of team and I just think that
8:32
it speaks volume of what we keep doing
8:33
and what he keeps doing for us and I
8:35
think that you can't look past it
8:36
anymore and it's not even in question
8:38
and it shouldn't be in question
8:41
um but yeah two more
8:54
here
8:56
surreal I think it's an unbelievable
8:58
moment for to be back in a position like
9:00
this you don't get that very often and I
9:01
don't think a lot of teams are able to
9:03
say they're in this position twice um
9:06
it's looking a little different
9:06
obviously I think we also have different
9:08
roles this year for it and I don't think
9:11
we could be more excited to be on a
9:12
platform like this and you work every
9:14
day to be in opportunity like this in a
9:16
stadium like this and we can't wait to
9:19
put the pieces together on that day and
9:21
I think celebrate the win tonight get
9:23
back at it film film film and just play
9:26
our game yeah and I think just seeing
9:29
some of the 2022 teammates they were
9:31
here tonight I think it's mostly for
9:33
them and you know for us I think we put
9:36
in so much work and this group deserves
9:37
it and we just got to focus one one half
9:40
at a time and I just want to add one
9:41
thing I and I obviously appreciate
9:44
everything that they shared um you know
9:46
I've tried to make this to have them
9:49
understand and they know this it's
9:50
really not about me in this situation
9:52
right I mean for me this is not about me
9:54
coaching for my job it's just not about
9:56
that um this is really about the 27
9:58
players we our staff and focusing on
10:01
trying to do something special on an
10:02
everyday basis and um I give these girls
10:04
a lot of credit I mean Kate and and M
10:07
represent a few players that were here
10:08
in the 2022 situation and we're not
10:11
where we are today without their
10:14
experience without their enthusiasm
10:16
without the positivity you know without
10:18
them holding each other and everyone
10:19
around them accountable so like you know
10:21
for all the praise that they're giving
10:23
and and all the kind of things they said
10:24
about me to be honest with you this is
10:26
It's a player's game and they made they
10:28
made the decisions to come in being
10:29
accountable and work hard we're here
10:31
because of the effort they put in their
10:32
leadership so along with some others
10:34
that are not sitting at this table last
10:36
one for the
10:57
student I mean remember at halim um
11:01
literally saying to Kate Kate I'm gonna
11:03
be there if you whip across in and that
11:05
exact play happened I mean I think we've
11:07
played with each other now for three
11:09
years I know where Kate's going to be
11:10
and she knows where I'm going to be and
11:12
it's coming finally coming together and
11:13
I think you saw lip's performance was
11:15
just amazing too and she's we're finally
11:18
finding each other and finding each
11:19
other in those pockets and so we just
11:21
got to keep moving forward and that
11:23
hopefully be even instrumental even more
11:25
next year yeah going off that I also
11:27
think um
11:30
uh obviously with them being gone um and
11:32
then integrating back in I think that
11:35
obviously it took a little time for us
11:36
to get the pieces together but now we're
11:39
gelled and we have dialogue and we have
11:41
confidence in each other that we will be
11:44
not leaving each other on an island and
11:45
we'll be doubling back for each other
11:47
working together and I think that plays
11:48
a key part in just having confidence in
11:50
each other to do our jobs and that we're
11:52
going to get our job done as a for
11:54
line all right thank you to the student
11:57
athletes good luck thank you
12:10
thank
12:11
you all right some final questions for
12:15
Coach coach so I in the runup you kind
12:19
of said playing a team a fourth time
12:20
there's not a lot of difference you can
12:22
make tactically but it did feel like
12:25
getting that early lead which is the
12:26
first time you had that against him all
12:28
season allowed you to kind of unleash
12:31
Olivia on the counter a different
12:33
tactical tweak you had and showed them
12:35
is that something that was very
12:36
important that you pointed out or just
12:38
kind of folded out yeah I mean yeah I
12:40
mean how the goals transpire that kind
12:43
of played out like that I I would say
12:45
the number one thing is we wanted to be
12:46
able to be the aggressor early we really
12:49
wanted to put them on their heels early
12:51
and that and you know you can speak
12:53
about it that's one thing in in coaching
12:55
you can speak about it um but when you
12:57
you can when you talk to a grou of girls
12:59
like this they you can tell that they
13:01
were just ready for it right I mean the
13:04
third game against them was the toughest
13:06
because we had just come off two losses
13:07
from them right and that was the biggest
13:09
challenge and then we're in the third
13:10
game and we go down a goal on a PK so
13:13
that moment was so significant for us
13:15
because we worked our way way back and
13:17
tonight was about us putting our foot
13:19
forward and trying to be the aggressor
13:21
and create and kind of create your own
13:22
luck and I thought that was what
13:23
happened I mean we possessed so well
13:25
early on in the game and then we found
13:27
isolation for Dal which we wanted
13:29
and look look how many pening kicks Dal
13:31
Drew this year right I mean she's a
13:32
spark and she did that again and then
13:34
Kate you know with that goal she made
13:36
herself a leading score in the country I
13:38
mean gosh what I mean if she's not
13:40
player of the year I don't know who I
13:41
don't know how she's not I mean it's
13:43
pretty extraordinary Kate deserves to be
13:45
um you know Player of the Year in my
13:47
opinion but um yeah and then the rest is
13:49
everybody doing their part you know Liv
13:50
was this was Liv's best game um and she
13:53
she she grind and made it really
13:55
difficult and scored a great
13:56
goal back
13:59
playing a ACC team that you're very
14:01
familiar with in the national title game
14:03
make it easier to transition from a
14:05
semifinal game to a national title game
14:08
whereas in years past you know you might
14:09
not get to see a TV couple
14:13
times it doesn't get easier right so I
14:15
mean in the end in respect to you know
14:17
Tony and his staff and what they've done
14:19
and you know I'm very familiar with all
14:21
their players they're a veteran team
14:22
they're a veteran team um very familiar
14:25
with their players very familiar with
14:26
two of their players um and I have love
14:29
and respect for for M and for both M's
14:32
right Colton and and murf so I have a
14:34
really deep relationship with them in so
14:36
many respects from a time with them um
14:38
but they're they're an extraordinary
14:40
side play they play a little bit
14:42
differently than than Duke does so they
14:44
present some different challenges
14:45
formation wise um but honestly no
14:48
there's no U I don't know if it's any
14:50
there's no easy right I mean when we
14:52
played Wake Forest and early on the
14:54
season uh they were the better team at
14:56
that point in in the year where we were
14:58
as un but we found a way to win and I
15:00
thought that but I thought they were the
15:01
better side of the day we've grown into
15:03
it so uh we're going to take going to
15:05
rest up and we're going to look at what
15:06
we need to do and and the ultimate thing
15:09
is we're going to focus on who we are
15:10
and and give ourselves the best chance
15:12
without putting so much emphasis on what
15:14
the opponent is uh but we've done every
15:16
single game is put a massive amount of
15:18
respect regardless of who they are it
15:20
only escalates when you have a side like
15:22
wake farest is experience
15:25
they Dam Duke had been shut out since
15:29
the season back in August what was the
15:31
key to keeping all the
15:35
score um the post help one
15:38
time um no look I I
15:41
think I think um to be honest with you
15:45
you know getting the goals early helped
15:47
a bit right and I thought some of their
15:49
chances that they had there were a
15:51
couple of chances I thought in the first
15:52
half which were really significant um
15:55
and I think just a little bit of the
15:57
resilience I mean we were a little bit
15:59
jointed it after our second goal I
16:01
thought that we were giving some space
16:02
in behind and gave them some chances so
16:04
I just think you know at one point it
16:06
just wasn't meant to be for them on a
16:08
couple other opportunities and I think
16:09
as the game pressed on I thought they
16:11
rushed a few of their chances whereas as
16:13
earli on in the year he found a little
16:15
more composure in some of those moments
16:17
for them even some of the services that
16:18
normally were really precise um I think
16:20
the game played out like that a little
16:22
bit so I think some of it was just you
16:24
know luck of the draw luck in the moment
16:26
sometimes um and then credit to back
16:29
line and and Claire for locking it down
16:31
the way they needed to look we started
16:33
Four Freshman tonight um with two
16:36
players that I consider to be freshman
16:37
on our team because they never played
16:38
for us until they got here right so um
16:41
I'm just really really proud I mean it's
16:42
a group effort from Back to Front we
16:44
wanted to put pressure in the first
16:46
second game that we played no sorry the
16:48
third game we played then when we won
16:50
and if you watch that film we were a
16:51
little bit too deep we didn't get enough
16:53
pressure on their backs right so they
16:54
had a little more time we wanted to make
16:55
them feel uncomfortable and I thought we
16:57
did that today I think that helped
16:59
because pressure higher eliminate them
17:00
from being at our
17:25
goal yeah I mean I don't I mean
17:29
we we haven't had them long together to
17:31
be honest with you because D was gone
17:32
for a long time Li was hurt um that was
17:35
the story of it Tren was gone for a long
17:36
time there's so many different pieces so
17:38
like people were coming back from injury
17:41
um so integrating really good players
17:42
back in sometimes is difficult because
17:44
people have served you know a strong
17:45
role and that that was a challenge on
17:47
its own right and make sure everybody
17:48
knew their role and and what they what
17:50
they were going to provide for the team
17:52
I think for them it's just they want to
17:54
win I mean sometimes I just need to get
17:56
out of their way sometimes you just need
17:58
to to I don't know get it on frame I you
18:01
I joke with him all the time like having
18:03
that composure in that moment to kind of
18:04
settle yourself and come and dal's goal
18:06
was a really great example of that
18:08
whereas earlier in the year she might
18:09
have rushed that her composure it got
18:12
stuck on her foot but her composure to
18:14
set it aside and Tu I mean that's a
18:16
world class finish and that what that's
18:17
not what she was doing she was she's
18:19
created so many opportunities for this
18:21
year she terrorizes teams for her to see
18:23
the back in that is really rewarding for
18:25
her and and I know it's really good
18:26
going into our last game so so many
18:28
different pieces and sometimes without
18:30
saying we did this or that I just wanted
18:32
them to be aggressive confident um I
18:34
wanted to be the play I want them to be
18:36
the players that are willing to to to
18:38
make it as much as miss it and not being
18:40
worried about that and go from good to
18:43
Great meaning in shots and and sometimes
18:45
you got to create your own luck and I
18:46
think they did that today as as a tri
18:49
last one for the night the back coach
18:52
what is it about UNC that allows a coach
18:55
to take over for a legend that foral
18:58
because you're not the first one we saw
19:00
with Erin doing it with obviously field
19:03
hockey what is it about this place that
19:05
allows you guys to do
19:07
that I don't know I think this is a
19:09
unique circumstance right um and first
19:13
let me just say this I mean um I would
19:17
be if I didn't speak on on Anson I would
19:19
be kind of disrespectful Anon has been
19:23
you know someone is really special to me
19:25
um who is an extraordinary person
19:29
uh has been the most prominent figure I
19:33
think in women's soccer in this country
19:35
it's not just so much about UNC but I
19:36
think the world I mean uh I can't I
19:39
can't thank him enough for his
19:40
friendship and his support his belief in
19:43
me there's a one person that has been
19:45
believing me since day one and that's
19:46
Anon dorance and I have a tremendous man
19:48
of respect for him and his family and to
19:51
kind of go back to that I think uh to
19:53
your question um I don't know I mean
19:55
this is this is really unique I mean we
19:58
have a brand new team everybody was you
20:00
know name tags first day of of practice
20:03
I mean um and but sometimes you just
20:06
want to be able to have players that are
20:07
coachable and they got to want to be
20:09
coachable vulnerable they taught me a
20:11
lot this year they taught me how to gosh
20:14
if you see some of the photos
20:16
like what they like my wife told me like
20:20
let you know just kind of allow them to
20:23
be who they are CU you know their
20:25
personalities are extraordinary I just
20:27
have not changed their personal
20:29
but they know the time and the place you
20:31
know so yes the history of the program
20:33
is is extraordinary I mean it's well
20:35
documented and and you can speak on that
20:37
I think this is just a unique spot I
20:39
think this is about individuals that
20:40
really want to carve out their own
20:41
history um a new set of History along
20:44
with an extraordinary history um if you
20:47
get caught up in all the history you can
20:49
kind of lose sight on what you're trying
20:50
to do um we have so much respect for
20:52
everything that everyone's paved way um
20:55
this is a different situation and for
20:57
this group to do what they've done this
20:58
year look I I don't know this is this is
21:01
this will be a good documentary one day
21:03
maybe um but this is all about the
21:05
players making a decision to make the
21:07
commitment you know like you know
21:08
players argue players get on each other
21:10
and if you can't enjoy that part of it
21:12
too then you can't make it and this
21:14
group is you know loved each other we've
21:15
had tears we've gone through the ups and
21:17
downs I mean the the roller coaster ride
21:19
from the day one or four days before our
21:21
season started when an and retired um
21:24
and then those that went pro last year
21:26
then to the handful that went um
21:28
transfer like think about that you know
21:31
for many out there publicly speaking or
21:33
privately speaking this was a team under
21:35
500 before this season started if
21:37
someone else was speaking out loud and
21:38
for them to do this this is a testament
21:40
to them and the work that they put in
21:42
and I can do whatever I want I can ask a
21:44
lot of things and I can prepare them but
21:46
if they choose not to follow it um then
21:48
we don't go anywhere so it's all about a
21:49
player making a decision with some great
21:52
leaders and I think that attached with
21:54
their their respect for the history and
21:57
wanting to prove that they're a huge
21:59
part and carve their history out in it
22:02
um the players have done that and I'm
22:04
proud of
22:05
them all right thank you coach
22:07
congratulations we'll see you on Monday
22:08
appreciate it thank you thank you guys
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