Free Kicks with Jess Rostedt
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Oct. 4, 2006
The Virginia soccer team brings a 7-3-2 record going into this Thursday’s UNC game. Jess Rostedt, who has been honored with a pair of National Team of the Week honors (9-27) and has been named ACC Co-Player of the Week (9-25), leads the women’s soccer team in scoring.
VirginiaSports.com caught up with Rostedt to see how she feels going into this week’s tough game.
VirginiaSports.com: Has the team prepared differently for the big game this Thursday night, against UNC?
Rostedt: Well, I don’t think we’ve done anything different. We had a tough week this past week, so we just need to refocus and get ready for the big game because UNC is our biggest rival in the ACC. I think everyone does mentally get ready for the game differently, just knowing that we have to come out strong. In every ACC game, we have to come out hard, but in this game there is so much rivalry, we have to come out even stronger.
VirginiaSports.com: Describe your reaction when you found out you were named ACC Co-Player of the Week (9-25). Why do you think you received this honor?
Rostedt: I was really excited. My parents actually called me and told me to look on the website. On the site, it said I was named ACC Co-Player of the week because I scored the game-winning goals in both the Duke and Wake games.
VirginiaSports.com: What are your thoughts of the season so far?Rostedt: The season has been pretty good. We’ve had a few lows and a lot of highs. We only have about six more season games. Hopefully now, near the end of the season, we will become more consistent. This is the time when we need to peak during our tournament play.
VirginiaSports.com: What did you learn while playing for the United States at the U-20 World Championships in Russia?
Rostedt: I learned a lot and I became a better player. Mentally, I learned to make better decisions on the field. I also learned what a team is and the importance of playing as a team. You can’t just do stuff on your own. We’re working on creating a strong team feeling here as well.
VirginiaSports.com: What has been the most exciting thing for you this season?
Rostedt: The most exciting this was coming to a team that welcomed me, even though I was late in coming this season. I felt like I didn’t even miss a beat and I immediately fit right in.
VirginiaSports.com: What has been the team highlight this season?
Rostedt: The team highlight so far was beating Duke and Wake. Hopefully, the next highlight will be beating UNC this Thursday night.