A little this and that with Alesha Row

With soccer season in full swing and beginning the meat of their conference schedule, the Western Carolinian was able to sit down with senior goalkeeper Alesha Row and get a little background information on one of last season’s most pivotal players and literally the Lady Catamounts last line of defense. Here is what she had to say:WC: Coming from North Dakota, How did you find Western?AR: I was recruited to come to WCU while attending a camp at UNC. Meghan Reilly and Stephanie Svaboda were recruited at this time as well.WC: Since the talk about you breaking the record for shut-outs, has there been any added pressure from the team, coaches or yourself? If so, how?AR: With as much success as I had last season, I feel like I have a lot to live up to. It’s mainly pressure that I put on myself. Since I know what my potential is, I feel like every game should replicate just that.WC: Last year was such a huge success for the soccer team, what was different about preparing for this season during the off-season?AR: Despite all that, we know that this is a new team and a new year. We have no intention of trying to live up to the 2005 team. We’ll do our best to live up to the potential of this years’ team. We knew that we would start the 2006 season relying on some freshmen to step up. The returnees had to work on perfecting their game in order to give the freshmen a little slack. WC: What are your thoughts on how this season is going for the Catamounts as compared to this point a year ago?AR: Last year we were a group of girls willing to listen to anything our coach had to say, we played every game giving it everything we had. We worked hard and played for each other. This year is the same, except we have a younger squad. We’ve had our ups and our downs this season, but every game/practice we get closer and closer to defining ourselves. We are definitely more skilled this season; we just have a few things we need to fine tune. As soon as that happens, no one will be able to stop us.WC: Of the rest of the games this season, which one are you looking forward to? Which one are you dreading? Why?AR: I’m dreading none of them, and looking forward to all of them. Since we won the tournament last year, every team comes out to beat us. Everyone wants to beat Western. Every team brings there A game to play us. We just need to make sure we come out just as strong, if not stronger.WC: Three years ago, you were a freshman backing-up Tina Weaver. What tips are you teaching to your back-up this year, freshman Kelly Gulledge?AR: I’m trying to take her mentally to the next level. She needs to learn how to train harder and longer than everyone else on the team. Being a keeper is harder than everyone thinks. Our position is defined not only by the work we put in at practice, but the extra hours put in outside of practice. WC: Speaking of Gulledge, she has been impressive in her time in goal; do you think she is next in line to compete for the shut-out record that you currently hold?AR: She’s doing very well. She’s got a great attitude, and a willingness I’ve never seen before. I can definitely see her in the running for breaking records.WC: If you could describe last season in one, single word, what word would that be?AR: Willingness The Lady Catamounts are currently 5-5-2 on the 2006 season and 1-1-1 in the Southern Conference which is good for seventh place at the moment, but there is still a lot of soccer left to play. Western continues their season on October 5 with a game in Boone against the team that is currently in first place in the conference, the Appalachian State Mountaineers.Best of luck to the Soccer team on the rest of the season! Go Cats!