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October 2y 2003 «ULL •mmmM KATIE AHRENS/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Damian Mulhane had a record of 15-2 in fifth position last season. Player Profiles A Sit-down interview with Damian Mulhane Christy Acee Sports Reporter Damian Mulhane, a junior psy- hology major, has been a member ifthe UNCA men’s tennis team for the last three years. Not only is Damian an active student, but he also came a long way to be here. Damian is an Australian native who ynt most of his life in New Zealand. “I have worked with Damian on his game for a year and a half DOW,” said Head Coach Chase Hodges. He is an excellent athlete that 'vould excel in a number of sports sides tennis.” Looking back at his tennis career, Damian started playing at a young !ge. probably started around nine,” aid Damian. “Back when I was Mound four I used to go watch my mum play tennis.” Soon after this, Damian began stealing her racket. This eventually ed to his own racket. Not only does this competitor ofFet his skills to the men’s tennis ■am, but he also finds time for Dwny intramural sports and plays ague soccer. I love soccer with a passion,” said amian. The tennis team this year, on a ‘'hole, looks hopeful. We’re awesome,” said Damian. I hope we beat Winthrop, they are fur arch nemesis.” With eight international players the team, it seems an interna- “otial student might feel more at fiome. Those are things you don’t ''"fn notice. Dai to kei ? i k Jni hes e I’it hough, 'Otding 'amian. Regardless of ''*‘^_e, gender, hre all the **’'^e,” said 'amian. enjoy work- "'b with inter- "«ional stu- |ent athletes. I ‘el that they hng a diversity 'e campus that needed at UNCA,” said Hodges. . have players from New Zealand, *'|ance, Brazil and Ukraine. It is a Peasure to coach all of them and e[p them in their transition to hlege life.” hlamian has seen his share of the r ,,,“eld. He made the New Zealand otld Cup Team, which traveled '“Japan to play in the qualifying '“nnds. The team came in second. ^‘The girls are the best thing about the US,, they breed them pretty over here, Damian Mulhane ^laki: eig them among the top 16 The Blue Banner Sports Womens soccer plays first BSC game teams in the world. “Damian’s greatest accomplish ment is receiving the Bulldog award at last year’s athletics banquet,” said Hodges. “This award recognizes a player that gives 110 percent and never quits. Damian is that type of player.” Youth and more energy than the average man can only get you so far. There is school to take care of, and sleep. Damian admitted to the stressful nature of his college life. “It’s killing me this semester,” said Damian. “I think I’m doing too much.” This life can be de manding especially for someone involved in so much. Damian is also a member of the International Student Association (ISA). “It’s tough and I’m finding it stress ful at the moment because I have a lot of tests coming up,” said Damian. Damian was born in Sydney, Aus tralia and raised in Auckland, New Zealand. “I feel I’ve got the Aussie spirit, because we’re kind of feisty,” said Damian. “But I have the laid back New Zealand attitude, as well.” As an international student, mov ing to a new country can be diffi cult sometimes. The transition was rather painless for Damian, though. “I lived a sheltered life so I like the freedom,” said Damian. “I was ac tually kind of surprised because in Asheville everybody was so friendly and wanted to meet you and, well, they liked the accent.” This leads to the differences be tween a country on the other side of the world and the best thing about the U.S. “The girls are the best thing about the U.S., they breed them pretty over here,” said Damian. “[In New Zealand], we have a lot more sheep and a lot more golf courses. Well, see people give New Zealand [flack] about more sheep, but you really have to look at the facts that Australia has a ratio of six sheep to one person.” Damian also takes time-out from his harder classes to play video games with his teammates. This can keep him from doing homework, but won’t keep him from good grades or more importantly, having fun. “I like the school and I m not leaving,” said Damian. Jonathon Czarny Sports Reporter The UNCA women’s soccer team lost its first conference game to Coastal Carolina University (CCU) 3-1 Sept. 26. “I don’t think they are a better quality team than us,” said Head Coach Michele Cornish. “Shot count says it all. We just didn’t capitalize on the chances we had during the game and they did.” A lack of scoring contributed to the loss. The Bulldogs outshot the CCU Chanticleers 15-12, but were scoreless for most of the game. CCU tested the UNCA defense early and scored the first goal when a corner kick was played into the 6- yard box and the defense failed to clear the ball. The ball bounced around until Coastal Carolina’s Simone Borucinski punched it in. The half ended with CCU leading by one. The even play continued in the second half as both teams tried to take control of the match. CCU scored when Roberta Parson col lected a rebound after UNCA goal keeper Michelle Mattos misplayed a high free kick dropped in by Borucinski from about 40 yards out. The ball went off Mattos and hit the crossbar, landing right at the feet of Parson who finished it from six yards out. Borucinski scored her second goal of the match just six minutes later, beating Mattos with a bending shot from a corner kick. The goal, often called a banana-kick, was placed in the upper corner just inside the back‘post. “The banana-kick off the corner was one of the most amazing soccer plays I have ever seen, but I’m disappointed that it happened against us and not for us,” said Charlie Goodrich, a UNCA stu- 'y' ■> J i ■"■''5- ‘--PUT, 'i.SSV.'ify.'v 1111 1^ _ f .. , . .V KATIE AHRENS/S l AFF PI lOTOCRAPHER Freshman Sara Pahl, a midfielder and defender for the women’s soccer team, hails from Castle Rock, CO. dent. The Bulldogs’ Hilary McKay scored on one of her seven shots in the game. Bailey Schultz, a senior psychology major, got credited with an assist after she sent a pass across the penalty box that found its way to McKay. McKay settled the ball and ripped a shot past Coastal’s goalkeeper, Candice Doten, for UNCA’s only score. The final score was 3-1 and the loss snapped UNCA’s five game win streak. The loss puts the Bulldogs in last place in the Big South after its first conference game. “Coastal Carolina has had some impressive victories this season,” said Cornish, according to the UNCA Athletics Web site. “They have the ability to score a lot of goals, so we’ te going to have to play well in the back to keep them from striking.” All three goals scored by Coastal Carolina came off set plays: two from corner kicks and one from a free kick. “Three stupid, stupid mistakes cost us three goals, but that’s the nature of soccer,” said Cornish. “I think our goalie could have played better,” said John Swadley, an Asheville resident. “ [When] the ball is sent into the box, she has to be aggressive and charge the ball, instead of standing on the goal line and trying to react.” UNCA freshmen Matt Kelley ar gued it was defense that failed to clear the ball. “She has no chance when the de fense lets the ball stay loose in front of the goal,” Kelley said. Sitting down at the coach’s table Rebecca DeRosa Sports Reporter The Blue Banner. When did you first start playing tennis? Coach Chase Hodges: I started when I was eight years old and I’m 27 now, so I’ve been going strong for 19 years. I played a lot of sports growing up. I played high school football, basketball and tennis and just decided to focus in on tennis in high school and played it in college. Blue Banner. Where did you at tend college? Hodg es: My freshman and sopho more years I went to N.C. State University and played for them, but after my sophomore year I trans ferred and played my junior and senior years at UNC-Wilmington. Blue Banner. What are your de grees in? Hodges: A bachelor’s degree in so ciology and a master’s in education. I got both of those from UNC- Wilmington. I got my master’s while I was a graduate assistant coach for the team. It was nice because they were able to pay for it. It worked out well. Blue Banner. How and when did you decide you wanted to be a coach? Hodges: I pretty much decided I wanted to coach right when I was done with college. So I’m relatively young to be a head coach. I’ve been head coaching ever since, I gradu ated [grad school]. I knew my whole senior year of college that’s what I was going to do. As soon as my senior year ended I went right into the coaching ranks. I was an assis tant coach while I got my master’s. Then I moved on to a head-coach ing job in Virginia at a university and now I’m here. I knew pretty much the whole way there that’s TARA BARONE/GUEST PHOTOGRAPHER Head Coach Chase Hodges first coached at Longwood University. what I wanted to do. My dad’s a coach and I come from a coaching family so I knew that I was going to end up coaching but I didn’t know what sport. Blue Banner. So you followed [in your father’s] example? Hodges: Pretty much. It’s one of those things where it doesn’t matter what sport you coach. Coaching pretty much cov ers all different areas,Tut it’s pretty o’s are a little bit different in each sport. I knew from growing up with him and seeing him do it that it was something that would be natural for me to jump into. So, it turned out all right. Blue Banner. Where was your first head coach job? Hodges: Longwood University. It has about 5,000 students in Farmville, Va. right outside of Rich mond. I was there for only a year. It much the same thing. The x’s and was a great experience and it worked out great. I was the head men’s and women’s tennis coach and we were pretty successful. I did a pretty good job my first year there. I think that enabled me to be a strong candidate for this job. It worked out well. Blue Banner. What brought you to UNCA? Hodges: I’m from Hickory, N.C. It’s about an hour and 15 minutes away so 1 wanted to get back to this part of the state. I’ve always thought that Asheville is a beautiful city. Really, I think there are two cities in N. C., Wilmington and Asheville, that are the top two places to live and quite honestly, in the south east. It’s just a great area. Blue Banner. How long have you been at UNCA? Hodges: A year and a half. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I really do like it here. Blue Banner. How have you changed the tennis program here? Hodges: The results speak for them selves. We turned it around as far as wins and losses. We were 14-5 last year on the men’s side and 7-10 on the women’s. The year before I got here they were 6-14 on the men’s and 2-17 on the women’s. Blue Banner. What are your short term and long-term goals here? Hodges: My short-term goal this year, on the men’s and women’s side, to break every record. That’s the short-term goal for both teams. The long-term goal is within five years to win a conference champi onship. I think that’s very attain able. I’d like to win the Big South Championship and win an NCAA tournament. Blue Banner. Who inspires you? Hodges: Everybody says this, but I’d have to go with my dad. I learned a lot from him growing up. He taught me all the things I needed to know to be a successful coach. * r I 1 t'
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