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The Virginia women’s soccer team has tied its best conference start in school history with a 4-0-0 ACC record. One reason for the strong start has been the play of first-year forward Lauren Alwine. She has three goals and a conference-leading 10 assists this year. VirginiaSports.com caught up with her to review her rookie season and look ahead at Thursday’s game at Virginia Tech.
Question: You have had a strong start to your rookie season, currently leading the conference and ranking fifth nationally with 10 assists. How have you been able to make an immediate impact as a first-year player?
Alwine: This group has been great to play with. We (the first-years) came in over the summer and got a chance to get accustomed to the veterans early. They have helped us make the transition and made us feel comfortable on the field.
Question: What was the biggest adjustment that you had to make to play at this level?
Alwine: The game is a lot more physical and fast paced than in high school. That was the biggest adjustment. The other part is learning to adjust to college with the school work and time management that comes with it.
Question: In the last two games, the team has exploded offensively with 13 goals. What has been the difference recently with the offense?
Alwine: We have always gotten a lot of shots on goal, but in the last two games we have really made those chances count and finishing them.
Question: The team is 4-0-0 in the ACC and is tied for the best start in school history. With the strength of the conference, how important has it been to start strong?
Alwine: The ACC is always tough and getting off to a good start is key, especially to build some momentum. We need to keep it going and keep playing better each game.
Question: Has the strong start been even more important since five of the first six conference games are on the road because you know there is the four-game homestand at the end of the schedule?
Alwine: Getting the wins on the road has been good and it has given us a lot of confidence. We are excited to get home in couple of weeks and play at Klckner again.
Question: This week the team travels to Blacksburg and it will be your first Virginia-Virginia Tech game. What have the veterans told you and the other first-years about the rivalry?
Alwine: They haven’t said too much about it yet, but everyone knows that it is a rivalry that is always intense. I think that is the case when we play them in any sport. We know that we are going to have to be ready to go since it is always a tough game.