Q&A with Sinead Farrelly

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Freshman midfielder Sinead Farrelly has made an immediate impact for the Virginia women’s soccer team. She has started every game of her rookie campaign, contributing four goals and three assists on the season. She and the third ranked Cavaliers put their 11-game unbeaten streak on the line Thursday when they host Virginia Tech at 8 p.m.

Question: How has your first season of college soccer gone for you thus far?
Farrelly: It’s gone by really fast. With each game it is getting easier to adjust to the level of play. The competition is stronger now that we are into ACC games and have the tournament coming up. But our team is doing well and we know what we need to work on and we should be fine.

Question: What has been the biggest adjustment for you this season?
Farrelly: Definitely playing faster. In club soccer, it is a lot more individual where you are counting on one person. Here, everyone is counted on. There has to be a lot more team chemistry. Its not only adjustment for the new players but also the veterans, because there are new players on the team every year that need to gel with the team.

Question: Did your international experience help you with the adjustment?
Farrelly: It definitely helped a lot. With the (U-18) national team, the speed is similar to this level of college soccer. It was good to go to all of those camps and when I got here it the change wasn’t as bad.

Question: You have started every game thus far this season. Did you anticipate being able to make such an immediate impact?
Farrelly: I didn’t expect it at all. The first preseason games I didn’t start, so I wasn’t expecting it when the season started. I was just working to help the team when I was out there. It feels good that Coach Swanson has so much confidence in me to have me in the starting lineup.

Question: What has been the most exciting moment of this season so far?
Farrelly: Winning big games has been the highlight. We have had a couple overtime wins and the whole team storms on the field to celebrate. For me those have been more exciting than scoring goals.

Question: You have told people before that you don’t think of yourself as a goal scorer. However you are third on the team with four goals this year. Why do you think you have been able to put up the numbers you have?
Farrelly: I am really not a goal scorer. In the early part of the season I had a chance to put away some chances I had. Recently, we as a team have been a little unlucky. I hit a couple of posts in the other game. The style our team plays has allowed me to have chances to score and hopefully in the future I’ll have some more.

Question: Thursday is your first chance to experience a Virginia-Virginia Tech game. What are thoughts on playing your first game in the rivalry?
Farrelly: I am really excited. There is always hype around a Virginia Tech game, and this one is at night and that always adds to the atmosphere. Everyone is inviting all their friends to come so hopefully it will be rowdy.

Question: Not only is Thursday a Virginia Tech game, but also a chance to play on national television. How exciting is that?
Farrelly: My parents and all my friends at home are going to watch it since they can’t be here. It is exciting. We keep joking that we are going to have to come out looking good for warm-ups since we are going to be on TV. It should be fun.