An Interview with Head Soccer Coach, Joshua Hill

Q: Last year your team was in a lot of games, and competitive in almost all of them. This year what are you most excited about with this new roster? What is their potential?

I think last year we didn't have a problem staying in games, we had a problem finishing them. Learning how to use game momentum is a skill. When you have momentum how do you keep it going, when you don't have it, how do you weather the storm and get opportunities against the run of play? The new roster this year is exciting because I think we have a good mix of mentally tough kids who are willing to grind stuff out and a few returning guys who bring order to chaos.

Q: Soccer is such a growing sport in popularity, and a lot of us are beginning to catch on why. It is fast, competitive, and suspenseful. What should we watch out for from this new team?

What fans should really be looking for is a beautiful combination play - the stringing of multiple passes together as a unit moving up the pitch.

Q: What goals do you have for this season? Please offer short-term and long-term goals. I know you are goal-oriented. It could be a single player you are excited to see compete, or something team-orientated you would like to have happen throughout the season.

I think short term it's cohesive play, solid defending, and trusting your teammates. Long term being in the top 3 in the conference, qualifying for regionals, and making a good run in the playoffs.

Q: How will you measure the success of this season?

I think my measuring stick is a little different than most, I want a team GPA of 3.0, limit mistakes that lead to goals, and get guys to work for and with each other to set a standard of play.

Q: As a fan, what player or players should I watch for this season to have either a breakthrough year or a breakout year? Again, your teams are always competitive and fun to watch.

I think guys that could really show up for us can be different from week to week but I think guys like Marco Perez, Stephan Turskey, Jesus Diaz Escorza, and Brian Vilchis are all returning guys who will be the backbone of what we do. Angel Cornejo redshirted last year but spent the whole season practicing in our system so it'll be exciting to see what he does. Freshman, I think the ones who have shown signs early on are Emerson Hernandez Lande, Luis "Jefferson" Garcia, Tyler Bittenbender, Connor Pederson, and Juan Lopez have had flashes of brilliance so far.

Q: Also as a fan, is there a game you have circled on the schedule, and if so, why?

I think this is a question no coach should answer because if you want to be great you have to compete with yourself. All of the greatest companies in the world compete with themselves. The ones who measure themselves against their competitors never come out on top, they just come out even.