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Friday the No. 7 Virginia women’s soccer team hosts No. 5 North Carolina with first place in the ACC standings at stake. VirginiaSports.com caught up with junior midfielder/forward Jess Rostedt to preview the game, review last week’s victories over Maryland and Boston College and to discuss her return from injuries that kept her out of action for over a year.
Question: You missed the most of last year and the first seven games of this season due to injury. Over the last few games your minutes have increased and you have reached a point where you are playing a full game again. Are you back to 100 percent?
Rostedt: I am still working my way back. My fitness isn’t 100 percent quite yet, but it’s close.
Question: What has been the hardest part of coming back after missing over a year?
Rostedt: The hardest part was coming back from last year’s knee injury and then getting injured again with little injuries here and there. You are just so anxious to get back and it keeps taking longer. Then when you come back, it hurts you not only from a fitness standpoint, but you also have to get used to game situations.
Question: Last week the team got two big wins, snapping a three-game winless streak at Maryland and recording a first-ever victory over Boston College. What was the key to those wins?
Rostedt: The key was to just play our game and not allow our opponent to dictate the game. In the games we lost, we didn’t really play our game, so it was important for us to come out focused and consistent.
Question: The team went through a stretch where six of seven games were on the road and you are now in the midst of a four-game homestand to end the regular season. How does it feel to be home for a while now?
Rostedt: It is so nice because it seems like we haven’t been here for so long. It gives us such an energy playing at home. Klckner is great. The fans are great. It’s exciting to be at home.
Question: This Friday you have a chance for a first-ever win against North Carolina. How excited is the team for this opportunity?
Rostedt: Our mentality is the same as it is for any game we play. I know everyone is going to be so pumped up to play. We have been talking this week about what we need to do to win this game. That is the key, we need to play our game and play hard.
Question: Friday night should bring a big crowd to Klckner Stadium for the game. How excited is the team to play in that kind of atmosphere?
Rostedt: It’s going to be awesome. When Klckner is full it just gives you so much energy and you just feed off the crowd. Our fans are always great, but whenever it’s at night and there’s a big crowd, it is just special.