Latest / The BIG LIFE / ACC Showdowns, OT Hearbreaks and NCAA Hopes: Special Guest Iowa Hawkeye Kenzie Roling

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ACC Showdowns, OT Hearbreaks and NCAA Hopes: Special Guest Iowa Hawkeye Kenzie Roling · The BIG LIFE

0:00
Hello, everybody, and welcome back to the Big Life Podcast.
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I'm Leah Klinke. And I'm Kate Phillips, and we're so excited to be here today for episode 17.
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And we have a special guest that we cannot wait for you guys to hear from today.
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But first, Leah, why don't you tell us about your games the past week?
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You guys played Duke, and then you guys played Stanford in the ACC tournament.
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Yes, so crazy week for us. I mean, overall, it was a great week, though.
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So we traveled to North Carolina on Wednesday, where the ACC tournament was.
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So we got to buy the first round.
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So we were straight into the semifinals, which was nice, except for the fact
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that we had to play Duke, who's obviously a great team.
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So we played Duke, and we ended up beating them, which was a great win for us.
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So that was great. the game overall exhausting Duke was very good so we were
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just running trying to press them.
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But we ended up with the win so we were so happy after that so proud of my team
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we had a whole like dance party in the locker room after it was so much fun
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definitely like a core memory and how late did you guys score that like what
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was it the third goal or something how late was that goal,
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it was like pretty late into the game right you guys
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because I was watching and was like oh gosh there was like there was like two
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or three minutes left in the game I think it was like yeah it was at the perfect
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timing so that was like goal to win yeah perfect timing three minutes left and
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then so after that we were just launching it down the field and we ended up winning so,
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yeah just a great overall performance great fight for my team I think.
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We're kind of known now as a team that's never gonna give
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up like we've been down in multiple games now against very good
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teams and we never stop fighting we come back so
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I think that's just a testament to our determination
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and just like will to win and believe and like never give up
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so that was great and then we stayed North Carolina over the weekend Friday
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Saturday and then ACC championship was Sunday we played Stanford honestly a
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great game like such a good matchup
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They were number one seed in the ACC tournament. We were number two seed.
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They're one seed overall in the nation. We were two seed overall in the nation.
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So just like such a good game to watch. Tons of fans there.
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We were down 0-2.
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And I can't even remember. Like the middle of the second half maybe we scored our first goal.
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And then we scored another goal later on to send it into overtime.
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So then we were tied going into overtime. It was great. We had so much momentum
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in our favor, I feel like, at this point.
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Overtime, honestly, like, after playing a hard game on Thursday for both of
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us, like, both of our teams were just so exhausted.
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So we were just trying to last in overtime.
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Like, I remember just, like, every time I'd kick a ball more than,
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like, 10 yards, my quad would cramp up.
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So I'm sure that's how everyone was, too. I would, like, take a step and I would
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feel, like, my calf cramp up, too.
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Crazy. anyways I would like run over
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to the bench like every like chance I
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could get and I would take like a bunch of electrolytes and stuff I
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was like oh my gosh everyone was like dying on the field not
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actually but like everyone was so tired just because we
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gave it our all and it was still tied after two periods of overtime two to two
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so unfortunately that means we had to go into penalties and we were tied four
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to four after the first five takers and then unfortunately we ended up losing
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in penalties to Stanford.
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So credit to them for that. I mean, it was just like such a fun,
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like gritty, like determined game.
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It was like just a great matchup and super fun.
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Like the hardest game I think I've ever played in, but like such a great matchup.
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I'm sure that was like fun for the fans and everyone to watch.
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There's a lot of people in the stadium.
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I'm sure like a lot of people watching back at home, but I mean,
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credit to them. They're a great team.
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It was a good matchup. So hopefully we'll see them in the NCAA tournament because
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we need our revenge. But great team.
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I mean, they got the trophy, so good for them.
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But yeah, now it's just time to move on and get ready for the NCAA tournament.
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So we both, us and Stanford, we're on different sides of the bracket,
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but we're both like one seeds. So that'll be great.
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So we could see them in the final four if we both were to make it that far.
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But I mean, my team is, obviously we were like kind of sad that we lost,
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but like there's nothing to regret or be like mad about because we gave it our all.
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And like after that game, I was like, wow, I'm like just so proud of my team
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and like how we fought, especially to come back from being down 0-2 and tie
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it up to send it in overtime.
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So, yeah, we're ready to play this week. We are matched up against University of Illinois, Chicago.
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So that'll be our first round game on Saturday.
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So all eyes on that. And we're excited for that. It's a home game, right? Yeah, it's home.
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Yes. maybe in the snow yeah it's snowing
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here right now it's like 20 degrees snowing we immediately
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well it's crazy because we're in north carolina also the
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game is 76 degrees outside so it's like burning hot then we get on a plane fly
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back to notre dame and it's snowing outside we land in like a bunch of snow
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six inches of snow on the ground we're like oh gosh gosh so So that welcomed us back, I guess.
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And today it's been snowing like all day.
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So I guess. Yeah.
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But it is nice to like host as a one seed. It's nice.
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Like if we were to keep winning, we would host all the way up until the College
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Cup. So a possibility of like four games we would host.
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And we'd have, like, no away games if we were to keep winning.
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So that is definitely a plus about being a one seed or a top seed is that if
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any team that comes to us, like,
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I think there's probably a bunch
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of teams on our side of the bracket that aren't even used to the cold.
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So if they have to come and, like, play in the cold, then great.
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That's an advantage for us.
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But as long as we get all the snow off our field, there's, like,
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a foot of snow on the field right now.
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I bet they're used to it you're guys' ground people yeah yeah they're gonna
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have to definitely start shoveling it I guess,
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crazy and you took the first PK you talked about him I was so funny my mom she's
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definitely listening to this but she was like texting me and she was like Leah's
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taking the first penalty,
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aww that's so sweet.
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Thanks yeah yeah I did take the first penalty and I made it so that was good yeah good job for you,
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Yeah. Penalty kicks are, like, weird. It's, like, all mental.
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And it's just, like, a weird way to end the game. Like, it doesn't account to,
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like, how good the team is at all.
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It's just, like, a way to end it. I don't know. It's, like, weird to me.
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I'm, like, I don't know how I feel about them. A lot of it, too,
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is like, I don't know, some coaches do it differently.
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Like, at least for college, like, even if you're on the bench,
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you can still take a penalty. Like, you don't have to be on the field.
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Like, for professional penalties, like, World Cup and stuff,
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like, they have to be on the field to take the penalty.
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But for college, like, anybody can take it. so it's
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just like some teams like they'll take off their starters like
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you know you're going into penalties take your starters off give them a
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break and then like get them
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ready but like I mean yeah all
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mental like to that point it's like have you
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practiced it enough and are you in a good mindset to go out and take it like
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right yeah that is you get there yeah that is like interesting I never even
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thought about that but yeah I mean that does make sense because we had some
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yeah it's like you pick 10 people to go out there and yeah some of our players were not.
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We're not on the field at the time that we're gonna take the kicks but yeah
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it's crazy you definitely right before we took or after the second round of
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overtime I was so nervous that when I was running up for my PK I was like my
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calf's gonna cramp so I like took a bunch of electrolytes right before I took the PK.
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I was like, I cannot cramp on my weight to run up to take that. That'd be crazy.
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I know. Yeah. And I didn't. So, I mean, I wasn't even thinking about that obviously
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when I was going up to take it, but I was like, I just need to make sure that
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I'm not going to cramp. So I need some electrolytes.
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Anyways, yeah, so that was a crazy game. There was also so many other crazy
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conference championship games yesterday or Sunday.
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And a lot that went into overtime, too. I know that Vanderbilt beat LSU in penalty
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kicks, so that was a crazy game.
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You couldn't watch that game, could you? I don't know if you did.
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I watched, like, part of the end of it after ours. It was, like...
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LSU is like, okay, we played them and like, offensively, like,
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they are just on you the whole game.
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Like, they just have such good offensive players.
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And like, they just know where each other are throughout the entire game.
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All these girls also are like, six foot, like they're like, it's crazy.
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Like, all their forwards are just like, tall girls, like big tall girls.
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But they're just been like on teams like they're
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on like an i guess they just lost past game
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but they were on like crazy winning streak for
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like the past couple of whatever sec
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games but they yeah they
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were just on vanderbilt who's like a team that like usually like
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they don't i don't know usually they have the ball
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and they're very possession based team and like
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it wasn't like that like lsu was just like handing it
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to them for a while yeah and unfortunately like
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lsu's goalkeeper and one of their defenders kind of
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had like a fluke i don't know if you saw this their goal
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i didn't i wasn't the goalie for lsu
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like came out and like had called for it to like catch it
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and then her and one of her defenders
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like collided and so when and then
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when they collided like she dropped the ball and like they scored and
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then like watching it you're like oh maybe it
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was like a like a card like that wasn't probably maybe
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i got a call back and their coach was like screaming the lsu coach
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was like screaming the whole time she's like that's like and then they put it
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back and it's like her and her defender just running straight into each other
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it's like so unfortunate oh god and their coach ended up getting a card for
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it it was like not stopping but yeah the game it was interesting and then overtime
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when they went into overtime like Like, it was just, like.
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It's never good soccer in overtime. Like, everybody's tired.
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Like, just not, yeah, not great. But then...
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Vanderbilt's goalkeeper, they had some great penalties too.
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I don't think anybody missed. I think it was goalkeeper saving them.
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But they almost went into where it's just sudden death between the two goalkeepers.
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I think it got to nine takers.
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Oh, wow. One more field player, and I think it was the goalkeepers.
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And yeah, their goalie, Vanderbilt's goalie, she made some great saves.
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Yeah. Going side to side of the goal. she was really going like like before
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she was like going side to side and then was like screaming.
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At the she was like yelling at the lsu players as
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they were like coming up and the ref told her she had to like stop really oh
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wow like she was trying to get in their head yeah way
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to get in the head yeah but i mean
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it worked i guess yeah it's just
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kind of interesting but yeah that is interesting interesting strategy
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yeah i mean good way to do it
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but yeah whatever i mean i so like during your
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game the burkle had the stanford
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goalkeeper she had i mean like some
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goalkeepers they'll have like lists of like where people
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are gonna shoot but it's like i don't know people yeah
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doesn't really matter that much but it's like yeah there's
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strategy in it yeah you go
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with it or not yeah no there is
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and like i feel like people well first
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off like i feel like on our team at least like we've had
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maybe two people who've taken the mainly
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penalties that we've gotten this season but the
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rest like so i mean and at least five are taking a kick
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so it's like you actually have no idea where they're going and then the people
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who do take all our pks it's like they know like this keeper probably knows
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where i've gone most times so it's like am i gonna keep it the same am i gonna
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change and the keeper's probably thinking oh she probably knows that i know
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where she's gonna go like so it's kind of just like a mind game and it really.
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Pick one way and go with it like both the keeper and the player I feel like yeah.
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That game, yeah, was really good. And then Washington beat Michigan State in penalties.
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And then, like, I didn't watch that game, but if you're, I don't know,
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know anything about the soccer world,
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you've probably seen that Washington's goalkeeper unfortunately passed away
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the past week from cancer.
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And she was, like, fighting with cancer for the past, like, year.
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And so that was like really I mean awesome
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for them to win the Big Ten yeah for sure
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it was so cool to see yeah just to
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do it in honor of her I mean that that team's
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definitely hurting I feel like all the soccer teams are
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hurting right now a bunch of we had
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a bunch of us wore like orange ribbon to
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like signify her cancer
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and just to honor her like throughout our game
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and then their game of course like just so
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sad but then also like they definitely did
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that for her and they know that she's watching over them
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as they're playing that game so I bet that was great for
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them to win but also just like so hard to play like
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under those circumstances at that time yeah it
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really is I mean they it's awesome
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for them like I don't even know I know they were hurting and
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yeah yeah it was
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really cool really really cool to see yeah so
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sad but they have a bigger purpose to play for now
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and I feel like everyone too like when something
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like this happens like it's not like Washington
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is hurting but everyone comes together and is trying to uplift each other and
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just help everyone through this and like just show respect for her and for her
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family and all their team so definitely my prayers go out to her family and
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their team and everyone else involved for sure yeah.
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So what will your guys' week kind of look like? You play, what day do you guys play on?
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So we play Saturday. So how the first round works is I think the host team gets
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to choose whether they play Friday, Saturday, or Sunday this upcoming week.
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So we're playing Saturday at 6 p.m.
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First, this is how our week looks like. First, we just played on Sunday.
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So Monday and Tuesday are off days this week.
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Thank goodness. to put it into perspective for
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like i guess viewers who don't
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know this like yesterday in the
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overtime game i ran 10.8 miles and
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like that's how it is for like insane my position i run a lot but it's like
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everyone like on the field if you're playing significant amount of minutes like
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you run so much and then for thursday like a 90 minute game is like nine point
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something miles like it's like crazy how much soccer players run in college.
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So definitely need to rest and eat and drink a lot of water and just recover
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because my body's definitely feeling it. And then...
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We're going to just have practice and a lift on Wednesday, Thursday,
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and Friday. We'll just practice, and then we'll play Saturday.
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So, but definitely, especially, like, now this is kind of a new chapter,
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like, ACC's are done, like, so it's time to rest and get our minds back to start
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over to go on a long NCAA run, hopefully.
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Yeah. So exciting. Yeah, recovery right now is probably, like,
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so important for you guys.
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Especially, like, having to go into overtime is, yeah, can be really rough.
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But it's nice that you guys almost have, like, I mean, a full week.
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Yeah. To go ahead and get prepared for your next week. Yeah, for sure, for sure.
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One thing that's really interesting for teams is that it would be good,
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or although it's good to, like, do really well in your conference championship game or, like,
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make it far in your conference tournament, it's such a quick turnaround from,
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like, Sunday to maybe NCAA's start on Friday for some people.
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So that's such a quick turnaround.
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But for other teams who maybe didn't do as well in conference,
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got knocked out, but are still in the NCAA tournament, kind of benefits them
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because it's later in the season, like everyone is tired, like people are starting
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to get like burnout almost.
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So it's almost nicer to have, or not nicer, obviously you'd want to still play
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in your conference championship and stuff.
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But it is nice to just also have a week or two to rest, recover and then get
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ready to make a long run in the NCAA tournament.
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Specifically, I'm thinking a team like UNC.
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Like, they're in the NCAA tournament. They didn't even make the ACC tournament.
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So I think that means their last game was...
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Like, a week or two ago. I think probably, like, 12 or 14 days ago until their
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first game in the NCAA tournament. And their team, they're so good still.
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So, and they've had time to recover now and relax. So they could definitely
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make a big run, and they're going to be fresh and ready to go.
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Especially, they're probably upset that they didn't make it for an ACC,
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so they've got something to prove.
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But teams like that are going to be definitely, like, got to be on the lookout for them.
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Yeah. Well, they also get like, I mean, if you've not had a good season like
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a UNC up until that point is like you have like two weeks is a great time to
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have like a mental reset completely as a team and be like, I mean,
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I assume like you're you're definitely having team meetings.
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Seniors are like, these are our last games. Like if we do get a chance at the
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tournament, like we have to take full advantage of this.
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And they've had experience like doing really well in the tournament.
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I mean, they always do well in the tournament. Yeah. So it's like...
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I don't know. You have to look out for teams like that that haven't. Yeah.
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I mean, they've had a break, and that's huge. Yes. For your body.
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Yeah, for sure. Yeah. I mean, it's so exciting now that it's tournament time.
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Anything can happen. Any team can win on any given day.
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I'm excited for it to all get started, but it's crazy that season's almost over. Yes.
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Well, today we also have a really exciting guest, so we can't wait for you guys
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to hear from her and get her on.
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Yes, we can't wait. Let's bring her on. Hi, guys.
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Today, we have Kenzie Rowling with us. She is a forward slash midfielder on
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the Iowa women's soccer team.
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Kenzie is a grad student from Waverly, Iowa, and has been a key player for the
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Hawkeyes throughout her career.
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This season, she continued to be a consistent contributor with three goals and
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starting regularly for Iowa.
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Off the field, Kenzie is a CSC Academic All-American and is majoring in business.
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She's an amazing player in person, and we're so excited to have her on today.
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So Kenzie, why don't you share a little bit about yourself and then your journey to Iowa?
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Yeah, so my name is Kenzie. Like she said, I'm from small town like Waverly, Iowa. I always was like,
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I want to get out of Iowa for a little bit. And then I ended up here anyways.
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Like I just love everything about the university and all the people that comes with it.
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So after a very long recruiting process, I ended up here anyways.
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And I'm so thankful that I did. I've had so many like memories and grown so much here.
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What has your journey been like coming to Iowa?
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And then what made you decide to stay for your graduate year?
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Yeah, so I originally got recruited by Iowa
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in eighth grade and then there was like all these
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crazy rule changes so I like took
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a ton of visits and a ton of other places and
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I was really trying to go anywhere but Iowa just because
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I'm from here and wanted something different and
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every time I came back here I was like this is my home I
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know I'm gonna be here I loved the people and it's far away enough from home
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it's like an hour and a half that it's like the perfect distance where I can
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like still go see my family if I need to but also be like farther enough away
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not to have like a sleepover with my mom every night. So it was perfect.
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And I mean, I've loved it. I committed, I think my sophomore year of high school.
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And then there was like a ton of other rule changes, but there was no other
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place I was going to be like my last year.
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I kind of thought about it and I was like, it would be really cool to go somewhere
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else, get like a different experience.
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But this program has just given so much to me and I have such a great relationship
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with the coaching staff and they know who I am as a person and a player and
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so it was kind of a no-brainer for me.
22:00
Mm-hmm. We saw that immediately once you got to Iowa, you began to make an impact.
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In your freshman year, you scored six goals.
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How do you think you've grown as a player throughout your time at Iowa?
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Yeah, my first year, that was my job. It was just score goals,
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impact the game in that way.
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I would say I've grown a lot tactically as a player.
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I mean, the last few years, I think our last game I played four different positions
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so I was really helped me like become a better person but definitely like an
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overall soccer player which I think will help me possibly in the future but
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I've just learned so much from all the girls around me and kind of been able to,
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expand where I can play on the field rather than just forward,
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What's been your favorite position then? Like playing.
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Everyone always asks me this and I sound like so fake, but I swear I'm not.
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Like, I just want to help out my team.
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And so like wherever that is in the game, like I'm fine with it.
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There was one game like we played Wake Forest last year and I was playing outside
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back and I was like, this is so fun.
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So I don't really care where I play as long as I'm playing and helping out.
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I think if you would have asked me a couple years ago, it would have been forward.
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But now I'm like, just put me wherever. Like, I'll do whatever.
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Yeah, I love that. Yeah, that's a great mindset to have. Took me a while.
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What's different about this year's team and then your role this year compared to past seasons?
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Yeah I think in the
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past we've had so many like great players and leaders
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that my main focus has kind of just been
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like playing and this year it's shifted a little bit to being like a captain
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and on the leadership council and so trying to balance like being consistent
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myself as like a player in person and also balancing like my identity outside
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of soccer I've had to spend more time on this year just because there's so many more obligations,
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which I'm so lucky to have those obligations.
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So I think using like leadership from before and also adding to that.
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But this year's team is a little younger than a lot of the other teams I've been a part of.
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So but I would say like our freshman class is amazing.
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I mean, we don't have to worry about them at all. They're always doing everything
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they can and everything right.
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And I mean, they've been huge for us and they've honestly just added to the culture we already had.
24:31
That's great. What has been your favorite memory from Iowa so far?
24:35
It was so easy. I think winning Big Tons, easy.
24:40
It was my junior year. It was an unforgettable feeling. We were the eighth seed in the tournament.
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We didn't even have a bid to the NCAAs at that point, and we got in,
24:51
and we ended up winning all of our games.
24:53
And just, like, having everyone there in the flight home, like,
24:56
such an unbelievable feeling. It gives me the chills even talking about it.
25:01
What are your goals for the rest of the season? Obviously, you guys made the
25:04
NCAA tournament, but what are your goals for the rest of the season individually and then as a team?
25:09
Yeah I think individually just leaving an impact on everyone that's here and like,
25:15
giving the younger girls something to play for I think our senior class is huge
25:19
and like being a part of that is so special and giving them something to play
25:24
for is like super great but also leaving them with something like they can remember
25:28
me by in a positive way whether it's like as a player or a person and I just
25:33
kind of want to play my best like.
25:36
Give it all I mean this is kind of the last go so as
25:39
a team I think one of our goals that we've always said
25:42
is elite eight so we're hoping for that we honestly
25:46
losing first round of big tens was brutal emotionally
25:50
but we had a lot of things to work on so I'm really
25:53
excited for those to like come into play and help
25:56
us win a ton of games in the NCAAs I really
26:00
like how you mentioned like leaving an impact not
26:03
only like as a player but just as a person too on your teammates I
26:06
think that's like really important that it's more than just
26:09
about the game it's more than just like it's like
26:12
your family your team's your family like your best friends and like you want
26:15
to help those around you kind of going back to the NCAA tournament so you guys
26:22
are a number five seed correct yes what is y'all's kind of mindset heading into
26:27
postseason we're just excited I I mean, we haven't played and it feels like forever.
26:32
It's only been like a week and a half or two. But I think those games really
26:37
showed us that we just can't take anything for granted.
26:40
And so we're definitely going in with that mindset. But also just getting back
26:44
to like, I was not like a pretty soccer team.
26:47
Everyone knows it. Like we're gritty going to try to outwork you.
26:50
And I think we found that again this week. And that's kind of what we're going for.
26:56
You said you guys didn't play for a week. kind of, I guess, what did that look
27:00
like? Like, I don't know, it's such an awkward time frame. Yeah.
27:04
I mean, I think some girls that like might have needed recovery time took that as recovery time.
27:11
And then for other of us, it was just kind of, we got an opportunity to like
27:15
play like 7v7s and 11s, which like, I'm sure as you guys know,
27:19
you don't get to do that that much with your team.
27:22
So that was actually really fun and just kind of,
27:25
Doing that, but also focusing on, like, minor details and, like,
27:28
showing everyone that we're still fighting for each other.
27:31
So lots of 11 v 11s, lots of running.
27:36
We saw that you scored a goal in the NCAA tournament against number 12 Georgia in 2023.
27:43
What was that experience like? And then what did you learn from playing in,
27:47
like, kind of that environment?
27:49
Gosh, I don't even remember scoring a goal in that game.
27:53
But I do remember like the experience and
27:56
being somewhere warm was great because it's freezing
28:00
here right now but I mean that game
28:03
didn't go as planned so like the heartbreak after
28:06
was terrible but it was like so great
28:09
to be out there and like work hard with
28:11
my teammates and end on a note that was somewhat positive I mean we wanted to
28:16
go farther and I think that's something we can take with us like to this year
28:20
because there's been so many moments where we're so close and I think we can
28:24
do it this year but I don't remember scoring the goal I don't know why I don't but,
28:31
I'm sure it felt amazing I'm sure I was just like okay let's go score another because we were down but.
28:38
What do you do or how do you balance like being a student with an athlete?
28:43
How do you balance like academics, especially as a grad student?
28:47
Yeah, so my story is a little different because originally I was going to graduate early.
28:52
So I was done with all of my classes way ahead of time. And then I had an injury.
28:58
So this year has been like a super great transition for me because I'm doing
29:01
an internship as like my class for grad school with soccer, which has been super
29:07
great. Because it's like I get to work and play soccer, which are like two great
29:11
things, get paid, play soccer.
29:13
In the past, I think just balancing out like creating schedules and time management,
29:18
but also something that's like super important for me is like having time with
29:22
my friends or like just reset time, whether it's getting like a coffee or something.
29:27
So just doing something like fun every day outside of soccer has helped a lot.
29:32
Yeah. Me and Leah always talk about our obsession with coffee.
29:36
Oh my gosh i will do anything like i will walk two miles on an away trip just
29:43
to get a coffee i don't care that's exactly how like half my team is yes you
29:49
have to it's like so fun too so fun yeah.
29:55
It's so funny you said it was cold there is
29:57
it snowing there it's snowing here in indiana right now so it's
30:01
not snowing but it did snow the other night we had
30:04
like a team get together it was like a gingerbread house thing
30:07
and it started snowing but it's just so like windy and
30:10
rainy here yeah it's freezing yeah geez yeah wait you guys do you guys play
30:18
at home on your next game yep our first game will be at home so it'll be chilly
30:23
i think it's like a five o'clock game so it'll be freezing,
30:29
just hopefully no snow like we don't have to shovel the field hopefully and
30:33
who are you guys playing first round SDSU oh nice yeah.
30:39
Yeah, they're a good team. We played them first game of our,
30:43
yeah, first game of the season. They're a pretty good team.
30:46
Yeah, they, I feel like, are very overlooked. But we always play them in the
30:50
spring, and it's always a good game.
30:52
I mean, they work really hard. And we've had a couple of transfers from there,
30:56
and they've all helped us so much.
30:57
So it'll definitely be a good game. I mean, I feel like they all are at this point.
31:02
Right, yeah. Especially, like, everyone's fighting for their whole entire season,
31:06
like, if you lose your app.
31:08
Exactly. I know watching the brackets today, I was like, oh,
31:11
my gosh, like there's going to be a lot of crazy games.
31:15
Yeah. A lot of good games to watch now.
31:19
OK, what are your plans after college? Like what's next for you after soccer?
31:23
Yeah, I have a lot of different directions. I definitely want to try to keep playing.
31:29
That's like my main goal. If not, I'll kind of just continue with what I'm doing now.
31:33
So I'm a sports nutritionist for younger female athletes and I also help with
31:38
like event planning for Iowa so I will definitely be moving out of Iowa at least
31:45
for a little bit I'm like I have to just try something new for a little bit
31:49
whether that's with soccer or a job I'm not sure.
31:55
If you could go back and tell your freshman self one thing what would that be,
32:01
just don't take anything for granted and like, it's all going to be okay.
32:05
I feel like my freshman year, I was always so like stressed about everything
32:12
and like was so focused on soccer that I maybe didn't get to like experience other things.
32:18
And I just wish I could go back and be like, you're going to be okay.
32:22
Like, and just to have like fun with it. I think most people,
32:26
I mean, at least me, like, I play at my best when I'm having fun,
32:30
like, with my teammates or on the field.
32:32
So I really wish my freshman year I would have had a little more fun and just
32:37
not taken all of it for granted. Yeah.
32:40
I think also once you get down to, like, I mean, both of you are,
32:45
like, have so many games left. Yeah. You do.
32:49
Like, you're starting to, like, look back and be like, oh, my gosh, time has flown by.
32:55
Oh, my gosh. Yeah. I can't even believe it.
32:59
It, like, makes me emotional, too. I'm like, oh, my gosh, like,
33:01
I just played my last, like, regular season game. Like, what?
33:05
It's so crazy. Yeah. It's actually crazy. how fast it goes by. It's insane.
33:13
Yeah, yeah. What is your favorite memory with your Iowa team off the field?
33:18
Oh gosh, there's so many.
33:21
I feel like anytime we're in the locker room, it's so fun.
33:26
Like, I mean, this is kind of soccer related, but I remember my sophomore year
33:31
when I was hurt, we like knew it was our last game.
33:34
It was senior night. We were playing Nebraska and the locker room
33:37
was like a full dance party and we
33:40
ended up playing like amazing but I don't
33:43
remember the score of that game like that environment was just so fun
33:46
to like look around and be like these people are my
33:49
family and like I would do anything for them and
33:52
just to like have fun with all of them was like
33:55
something I will literally never forget I mean there's so
33:58
many other ones but that one always sticks out to me you
34:02
keep talking about an like injury or being
34:05
out was is that the reason you got ended up getting
34:08
a fifth year or yeah what happened there yeah so before my sophomore season
34:14
I tore my MCL and my PCL and so I tried to come back and then I ended up like
34:20
tearing my quad too so I just redshirted so that's why I got my fifth year and
34:25
honestly like I'm so glad I did that.
34:28
How do you think, I guess, that's shaped you then as a player a little bit?
34:32
Yeah, it shaped me a ton. I mean, like I said, my freshman year,
34:36
I was always, like, stressed out and so, like, hyper-focused on soccer,
34:41
which isn't a bad thing for everyone.
34:43
That's just, like, not necessarily how I'm wired.
34:46
And I think that year I got close with a lot of people that I may not have,
34:51
like some of my best friends that aren't even here anymore.
34:53
Like, I probably wouldn't have spent as much time with because I was always
34:56
in the training room with them.
34:58
But also I think it just showed me that like soccer is not who I am it's like
35:03
a part of me and I think it was my identity for so long and to have it like
35:08
ripped away for an entire year I kind of got to find myself and like find other
35:13
things that make me happy and also now that I'm back on the.
35:19
So happy to be there. I mean, that's, like, so hard to watch your team go through
35:23
all those different adversities or even, like, the highest of highs and being,
35:27
like, oh, I really wish I could be a part of that.
35:29
So, I think just it shaped me so much as, like, a person and player.
35:34
Mm-hmm. I think it's so important, like, either if you go through an injury
35:38
or even, like, just as you get older, and I'm a senior now, too,
35:41
so I feel like I'm kind of going through this now, too.
35:44
It's, like, soccer, like, used to be, like, everything, and it still is everything,
35:48
but it's, like yeah you get to find yourself more and like
35:51
because now it's like after this it's like you're going into real
35:54
life like yeah it's more than just soccer like there's
35:56
other things you have to value and that are just as important as
35:59
soccer and like it doesn't make your whole identity like you said yeah
36:03
and like if you don't perform well like you're still you
36:06
and I think that's like so important and
36:09
I think that's something that like younger girls learn along
36:12
the way too which is like so cool to watch yeah at
36:16
the end of the day like i always tell myself i'm like it's
36:19
not that deep like it's just a song like this is fun like it's just fun like
36:23
yeah this is what you love it's fun you're doing it with like your best friends
36:28
like yeah like you said not that deep in that way yeah exactly thanks so much
36:34
for being here today kinsey we really appreciate just taking the time to talk with us.
36:39
And I mean, good luck with your game this weekend.
36:43
Yes, you guys too. It was so nice to meet both of you. Good luck with everything
36:47
you have going on. Hopefully, maybe I'll see you soon. Yeah, maybe.
36:52
It was really good to have Kenzie on the podcast. I think we learned a lot.
36:56
She seems like such a positive, outgoing and just fun player and seems like
37:00
a great teammate and someone who you would want as your teammate and someone you want to be around.
37:06
What I took away the most was that just the importance of finding yourself outside of soccer.
37:12
I mean, I feel like we've talked about this before, but that's just so important,
37:15
especially as you like get older and you're nearing the end of your college career.
37:20
It's you finally like start to realize if you haven't already realized it,
37:24
that soccer is like not everything.
37:27
You shouldn't put like your whole worth into soccer. You're so much more than a soccer player.
37:32
So yeah, that was my biggest takeaway. Kate, what was yours?
37:36
I, mine kind of was going off of that when she was talking about her injury
37:39
and like learning a lot about herself.
37:44
What was it? She said her sophomore year. That's also like such a,
37:47
like her fresh, she had such a great freshman year and then you come and get hurt.
37:51
Like that's just a hard like transition. And it seems like she dealt with it
37:56
really well and was able to kind of find herself as a person outside of soccer.
38:01
And we said this so many times when you're doing well like outside
38:04
of soccer academically like socially whatever
38:08
it translates so much onto the field so I am kind of assuming this but like
38:14
she learned so much about herself as a person through that injury even though
38:19
it was something like she didn't want to happen and is like really unfortunate
38:22
but she was able to grow so much and And then even like...
38:28
Do so well and get that fifth year it seems like
38:31
everything like worked out because like in the moment you're just like
38:34
wow like I'm injured like this sucks like
38:37
everything's going bad for me but
38:40
she was able to turn it around and then I
38:43
mean do so well in later seasons and
38:46
then is I mean their team is doing so well right now I
38:49
think they'll they'll do really well in the in the
38:52
tournament they're always a good team I feel like when it comes to the
38:55
Big Ten tournament or the NCAA tournament so it'll be
38:58
fun to watch them play yeah for sure I think they'll
39:01
have a great run and do really well yeah and yeah
39:04
kind of like you said like with her injury it's like in the moment like
39:07
you're just feeling the pain of like not being able to
39:10
play but you don't realize like in the future like it's actually
39:13
going to help you it's going to be good for you you're going to learn more about
39:15
yourself and then also just have a chance to regroup and
39:18
I mean start over and get back to soccer when you're
39:21
healed from whatever you're going through so yeah I
39:25
think that's important but i think
39:28
that's all we have for today so thanks for listening again to another episode
39:33
of the big life podcast and we'll see you guys next week when we're gonna be
39:39
into the ncaa tournament already how exciting yes so exciting yeah see you guys next week bye.