Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus #1 Stanford on December 5, 2025 , Loss , 0, to, 1
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Final
Women's Soccer
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vs #1 Stanford
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FGCA vs. Duke Post Match Quotes
11/20/2015 7:40:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Duke vs. FGCU Post Match Quotes
Nov. 20, 2015
Gainesville, Fla.
NCAA Tournament Second Round
Duke Head Coach Robbie Church
Opening Statement
“First of all I want to congratulate Florida Gulf Coast, Jimmy Blankenship , his staff and team on a phenomenal year. What a great team they've got, and Jimmy has been a dear friend of mine for many many years. We have the up most respect for him, and he is absolutely fantastic coach, one of the best in the country. I think everybody saw that today, the quality of the game. They fought us tooth and nail, that was a tough and intense game all the way around. Very proud of our team. I though we came and had some nerves in the first half. Not playing in the tournament last year with freshman and sophomore classes on the field, a very young team, but I thought they did a fantastic job at halftime. I think the turning point was when we had a little bit of a break, we gathered everyone together for a bit and we settled coaches and players down. We really played some good soccer at the end to get both of those goals. We feel very fortunate to be moving on and playing either Florida or William & Mary in the Sweet Sixteen.”
On bringing a more physical presence in the second half
“Again I am really proud of our team because that style really gives us trouble, the physical style. We possess and try to keep the ball. We have to grow up and learn to play through that. We've done that in the ACC. We have a couple teams that play like that too. Sometimes it takes you out of your rhythm of play, but I thought we did a good job of playing through that. Then we found our rhythm of play in the last 20-25 minutes of the match and were able to get two goals. It wasn't really anything we did tactfully. We talked about a couple changes, but not as much as the physical change in the second half. One of the things we talked about was playing for each other. That's one of our mottos and that's what they did in the second half. I was proud we were able to play through that style and we were able to do it too.”
On defending against FGCU Forward Tabby Tindell
“What a great great player she is. Our back line has done a great job, they have been the key to our team with our goalkeeping in there. Our attack, all year long, has been strong at times and has faded at time, but that's the one thing that we have brought all year long. It's just not the back line or the goalkeeper, but I think we're pressing hard. Our forwards work, and I'm just really proud in how this team defends. A lot of our attack players sacrificed some of their ability to go forward and take their legs away from them for the betterment of the team. Again we understand that if we put zeros on the board that the worse thing is that we could draw the game, so that's always one of our goals. She's a quality player and a quality young lady and I was impressed. In our league we play a lot of good forwards, so we're used to that and we did a good job communicating. We didn't let her get a chance to face up and turn which she's really good at and I thought we used our body well too.”
Duke Redshirt Sophomore Midfielder Malinda Allen
“We practice a lot of set pieces and that's something I really want to be good at. So I got on the far past, and I had a couple teammates telling me that this was my ball and to make a difference in the game. I kind of lost it in the sun and it flicked over the top, and then I saw it right on the ground in front of me. I knew it wasn't going to be pretty if I got in there, and I had to use my body and get in there for the team.”
Duke Junior Defender Christina Gibbons
On the second half
“They're a good team, and credit to them on coming out in the first half and putting us on our back foot. I would say we needed to calm down and reassure each other a little bit. If you're not having the best day it's okay we're going to get through it. We just need to keep it simple. In the first half we tried to do too much at some times, and in the second half we played our game a little bit more. I think that getting a chance to come together at halftime, talk it over, and compose ourselves was really important.”
FGCU Head Coach Jim Blankenship's Opening Statement:
I'm honestly just really proud of our team right now and where our program and these players have brought us and built here. It's something really special. To look back on this season, especially for the group here tonight that's graduating, it's just really really special.
I'm not surprised we've gotten to this point. These past two years -- it's been Arkansas, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Duke, Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida. I'm really proud of a program like ours that can travel the country and play this level of competition and get these results.
Obviously tonight didn't go the way we'd planned but I'm proud of the way we played. I thought we controlled a lot of it. You can see in all of our players and the way we played that when the whistle blew, it was emotional, we truly expected to win. We believe that, I believe that, and as a coach you can't ask for any more than that.
Coach Blankenship on how he was feeling at the half:
Good. The start is always important to us. We've had those games where we've given up goals early so it's been a focus to eliminate early goals. Last weekend, we gave up a goal almost a minute into the game but we were able to fight back.
I liked the way we played tonight. I loved the quickness and attacking of it. I felt like we controlled a good amount of the game. We were outshot and needed a few more chances. On top of that, their goalkeeper made two unbelievable saves. As a coach, I felt good because we were in it. The mentality wasn't us getting caught with some giant like Duke and acting like a deer in headlights in the process.
Four years ago, those might've been some of the situations that did us in but that wasn't the case tonight.
Overall I'm happy with the start and the way we played and the adjustments we made at the half. And in all honesty, the first 12-14 minutes of the second half might've even been better than the first half.
Tabby Tindell on the Duke Defense:
They were solid. How they played was very organized with their drop-offs and they knew when to step up on us. They just did a really good job. They kept tabs on me and ultimately shut me down.
Ally Kasun on how tonight played out in her mind and what was different in the reality of it:
Like Jim said, we believed that we could come out and get a win. We weren't intimidated by the name or anything like that. We came out with the mentality of that and I thought it showed. I was proud of the way we played. We took care of the ball and kept our composure and had some chances in there.
In the second half as well, they came out and played well. They're a great team and credit to them on the win tonight. Even in defeat, I couldn't be prouder of this team and everything we've accomplished throughout this entire season.
We're not scared of the big names and I think we're getting to be one of them -- I truly with my whole heart believe that. That's my takeaway from today.
Kasun on Duke's Physical Play
Duke was without a doubt physical, but it's nothing we hadn't already faced before. We've played West Virginia, Texas A&M, Wake Forest, and a number of teams that are just as physical if not more. It's something we're used to and we can deal with.
They definitely turned it on in the second though. I think they might've gotten a little bit of a wakeup call and realized we're not just some small school that's going to back down and let them score a bunch of goals on.
Coach Blankenship on the fouls in tonight's game and FGCU's response in their play:
Our kids are very proud and their expectation is to win. It's a battle and it's not always going to go their way. We had two high-level teams competing to keep their seasons alive. It was a battle and our kids nor Duke were about to back down either way.
I have a ton of respect for Coach Robbie and the Duke program. He's one of my closest friends and I have a ton of respect for he's done for the program. I'm sure our kids -- I don't know if you got a chance to see them shake hands and share a few hugs after the game -- there's some common friends and they left it all out there on the field tonight. They know it's a battle and a battle that's done right. At the end of the day these are opportunities to get better and that's what our program continues to take advantage of.
Kasun on if anything 'took the air out of her' when Duke scored each time:
A little, not too much though. We've faced adversity before this year so it's nothing that rattles us too much as a team. We have leaders on this team that pick each other up when we need it. We had time when they scored. There was frustration, of course, but it wasn't anything we weren't ready to come back from. As long as you have leaders to keep everyone's head straight you can overcome to frustration.
Coach Blankenship on the senior class:
At senior night I talked more about feeling like a father as opposed to a coach. That has absolutely helped me grow as a coach and a friend. The effort this group has put into the program has helped build this team into a power. We're now a program that will travel anywhere and hold high expectations.
It's amazing to look at the growth from Ally, Caitlyn, Emma, Brownie, and Shae, and see the level they've grown as not only players but as people as well. They've grown into leaders and have incredible expectations for not only themselves but the others around them and this program. They do a phenomenal job of leading by example and showing our younger players what it takes to be successful and what can happen when they work hard at these kinds of things.
Nov. 20, 2015
Gainesville, Fla.
NCAA Tournament Second Round
Duke Head Coach Robbie Church
Opening Statement
“First of all I want to congratulate Florida Gulf Coast, Jimmy Blankenship , his staff and team on a phenomenal year. What a great team they've got, and Jimmy has been a dear friend of mine for many many years. We have the up most respect for him, and he is absolutely fantastic coach, one of the best in the country. I think everybody saw that today, the quality of the game. They fought us tooth and nail, that was a tough and intense game all the way around. Very proud of our team. I though we came and had some nerves in the first half. Not playing in the tournament last year with freshman and sophomore classes on the field, a very young team, but I thought they did a fantastic job at halftime. I think the turning point was when we had a little bit of a break, we gathered everyone together for a bit and we settled coaches and players down. We really played some good soccer at the end to get both of those goals. We feel very fortunate to be moving on and playing either Florida or William & Mary in the Sweet Sixteen.”
On bringing a more physical presence in the second half
“Again I am really proud of our team because that style really gives us trouble, the physical style. We possess and try to keep the ball. We have to grow up and learn to play through that. We've done that in the ACC. We have a couple teams that play like that too. Sometimes it takes you out of your rhythm of play, but I thought we did a good job of playing through that. Then we found our rhythm of play in the last 20-25 minutes of the match and were able to get two goals. It wasn't really anything we did tactfully. We talked about a couple changes, but not as much as the physical change in the second half. One of the things we talked about was playing for each other. That's one of our mottos and that's what they did in the second half. I was proud we were able to play through that style and we were able to do it too.”
On defending against FGCU Forward Tabby Tindell
“What a great great player she is. Our back line has done a great job, they have been the key to our team with our goalkeeping in there. Our attack, all year long, has been strong at times and has faded at time, but that's the one thing that we have brought all year long. It's just not the back line or the goalkeeper, but I think we're pressing hard. Our forwards work, and I'm just really proud in how this team defends. A lot of our attack players sacrificed some of their ability to go forward and take their legs away from them for the betterment of the team. Again we understand that if we put zeros on the board that the worse thing is that we could draw the game, so that's always one of our goals. She's a quality player and a quality young lady and I was impressed. In our league we play a lot of good forwards, so we're used to that and we did a good job communicating. We didn't let her get a chance to face up and turn which she's really good at and I thought we used our body well too.”
Duke Redshirt Sophomore Midfielder Malinda Allen
“We practice a lot of set pieces and that's something I really want to be good at. So I got on the far past, and I had a couple teammates telling me that this was my ball and to make a difference in the game. I kind of lost it in the sun and it flicked over the top, and then I saw it right on the ground in front of me. I knew it wasn't going to be pretty if I got in there, and I had to use my body and get in there for the team.”
Duke Junior Defender Christina Gibbons
On the second half
“They're a good team, and credit to them on coming out in the first half and putting us on our back foot. I would say we needed to calm down and reassure each other a little bit. If you're not having the best day it's okay we're going to get through it. We just need to keep it simple. In the first half we tried to do too much at some times, and in the second half we played our game a little bit more. I think that getting a chance to come together at halftime, talk it over, and compose ourselves was really important.”
FGCU Head Coach Jim Blankenship's Opening Statement:
I'm honestly just really proud of our team right now and where our program and these players have brought us and built here. It's something really special. To look back on this season, especially for the group here tonight that's graduating, it's just really really special.
I'm not surprised we've gotten to this point. These past two years -- it's been Arkansas, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Duke, Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida. I'm really proud of a program like ours that can travel the country and play this level of competition and get these results.
Obviously tonight didn't go the way we'd planned but I'm proud of the way we played. I thought we controlled a lot of it. You can see in all of our players and the way we played that when the whistle blew, it was emotional, we truly expected to win. We believe that, I believe that, and as a coach you can't ask for any more than that.
Coach Blankenship on how he was feeling at the half:
Good. The start is always important to us. We've had those games where we've given up goals early so it's been a focus to eliminate early goals. Last weekend, we gave up a goal almost a minute into the game but we were able to fight back.
I liked the way we played tonight. I loved the quickness and attacking of it. I felt like we controlled a good amount of the game. We were outshot and needed a few more chances. On top of that, their goalkeeper made two unbelievable saves. As a coach, I felt good because we were in it. The mentality wasn't us getting caught with some giant like Duke and acting like a deer in headlights in the process.
Four years ago, those might've been some of the situations that did us in but that wasn't the case tonight.
Overall I'm happy with the start and the way we played and the adjustments we made at the half. And in all honesty, the first 12-14 minutes of the second half might've even been better than the first half.
Tabby Tindell on the Duke Defense:
They were solid. How they played was very organized with their drop-offs and they knew when to step up on us. They just did a really good job. They kept tabs on me and ultimately shut me down.
Ally Kasun on how tonight played out in her mind and what was different in the reality of it:
Like Jim said, we believed that we could come out and get a win. We weren't intimidated by the name or anything like that. We came out with the mentality of that and I thought it showed. I was proud of the way we played. We took care of the ball and kept our composure and had some chances in there.
In the second half as well, they came out and played well. They're a great team and credit to them on the win tonight. Even in defeat, I couldn't be prouder of this team and everything we've accomplished throughout this entire season.
We're not scared of the big names and I think we're getting to be one of them -- I truly with my whole heart believe that. That's my takeaway from today.
Kasun on Duke's Physical Play
Duke was without a doubt physical, but it's nothing we hadn't already faced before. We've played West Virginia, Texas A&M, Wake Forest, and a number of teams that are just as physical if not more. It's something we're used to and we can deal with.
They definitely turned it on in the second though. I think they might've gotten a little bit of a wakeup call and realized we're not just some small school that's going to back down and let them score a bunch of goals on.
Coach Blankenship on the fouls in tonight's game and FGCU's response in their play:
Our kids are very proud and their expectation is to win. It's a battle and it's not always going to go their way. We had two high-level teams competing to keep their seasons alive. It was a battle and our kids nor Duke were about to back down either way.
I have a ton of respect for Coach Robbie and the Duke program. He's one of my closest friends and I have a ton of respect for he's done for the program. I'm sure our kids -- I don't know if you got a chance to see them shake hands and share a few hugs after the game -- there's some common friends and they left it all out there on the field tonight. They know it's a battle and a battle that's done right. At the end of the day these are opportunities to get better and that's what our program continues to take advantage of.
Kasun on if anything 'took the air out of her' when Duke scored each time:
A little, not too much though. We've faced adversity before this year so it's nothing that rattles us too much as a team. We have leaders on this team that pick each other up when we need it. We had time when they scored. There was frustration, of course, but it wasn't anything we weren't ready to come back from. As long as you have leaders to keep everyone's head straight you can overcome to frustration.
Coach Blankenship on the senior class:
At senior night I talked more about feeling like a father as opposed to a coach. That has absolutely helped me grow as a coach and a friend. The effort this group has put into the program has helped build this team into a power. We're now a program that will travel anywhere and hold high expectations.
It's amazing to look at the growth from Ally, Caitlyn, Emma, Brownie, and Shae, and see the level they've grown as not only players but as people as well. They've grown into leaders and have incredible expectations for not only themselves but the others around them and this program. They do a phenomenal job of leading by example and showing our younger players what it takes to be successful and what can happen when they work hard at these kinds of things.
Players Mentioned
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