Nebraska Soccer
Postgame Quotes vs. UC Irvine
Nov. 19, 2023 (Lincoln, Neb.)
Nebraska 4, UC Irvine 0
NCAA Sweet 16

Head Coach John Walker Quotes
Opening Statement
“Team played great today. We started the correct way, with so much energy and passion and almost a little bit of a reflection of what they’re all about today. A lot of high pressing, a lot of really dangerous length and area of play on those, some transitions and tempo was excellent. One thing I’m really pleased about this weekend is we’ve tightened things up defensively as well and it's a great performance so what can I say. We’re in the Sweet Sixteen and we beat a good team by four goals. I’m so happy for the group as well. As many of you know when they arrived in the program, we weren’t doing things like this to see them develop and grow, and not done yet, but really happy with how they performed today.”

On the depth of the team
“There’s a lot of really good players that don't get opportunities to play, especially some of our front players. We have some really good players and just the way that the teams play really well, they sometimes don’t get the opportunity and Eleanor (Dale) and Sami (Hauk) will tell you we have really good players in training. We have confidence and I think that was a really big thing today that when we made substitutions we were able to keep the tempo going and there wasn’t any drop off. I think we’ve been pretty consistent with that this year. But I mean it’s my fault or my job to try and give some of the younger players playing time but we have belief in them for sure.”

Goalkeeper Sami Hauk Quotes
On her confidence after getting a shutout in a high-level game
“I mean it’s always good to get a shut-out, but I gotta give it up for my defense. They’ve done incredible the past few games. Tackling outside the 18, just making sure that we’re on and ready to get the ball on the field to the forwards. Yeah, I just kind of give it up to them.”

Forward Eleanor Dale Quotes
On this season overall 
“Obviously it’s amazing to do something. I wanted to come here and make a difference, and I’m glad that I’ve been able to help this team do so well this season. The coaching staff has helped me through everything and my teammates. I obviously wouldn't be in this position without them. So yeah it’s really not my achievement, it's the whole team’s achievement.”

UC Irvine Postgame

Head Coach Scott Juniper Quotes
On the program rising to the occasion
“Yeah, I think the resilience thing has been huge. It’s just kept growing, and I think that’s been so important. That requires a lot of honesty in the locker room, you know, when we have a defeat or a bad game, we don’t jump over it, we break it down and we get better. And based on the start to the season, you know, I’m not sure there are a lot of predictors out there that thought we’d be in the spot that we were, and we kind of just used that for fuel. We just kept proving people wrong, and this has been a group of student-athletes that have represented UC Irvine in that way for a long, long time. Yeah, just super happy for them to have done all the things that they’ve done.”

On Juniper’s message to players looking to play for his program
"I think if someone was to look at the success that players have had when they’re coming in. We’ve got a lot of transfers that come in a lot. A lot of players have gone to other schools with probably a bigger brand and maybe known further than UC Irvine. But we’ve out achieved a lot of them. This is a place where if people want to come and work hard, learn the game, respect the game and put the team before themselves and live in Newport Beach. You can find my email address on the website.”