Creighton women’s soccer coach Jimmy Walker previews the Bluejays upcoming matchup with No. 13 Arkansas.
0:00- Intro.
1:00- Western Michigan.
2:03- Finding a spark after last week.
3:02- Home Stretch.
3:36- Arkansas Preview.
4:48- Big East.
5:24- Difference between Duke and Western Michigan.
6:10-Soccotober.
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Yeah, we got coach Jimmy Walker. Uh team’s coming off uh 0 and2 last week, but played really tough against Western Michigan. Uh coach, just give us your statement. Yeah. Uh two very different games. Bitterly disappointed with the Western Michigan game. Certainly wasn’t our team. Wasn’t our fight. Wasn’t our scrap. Wasn’t our identity. So, a Taylor two games really um arguably one of the worst performances I’ve had since I’ve been here against Western Michigan. So, bitly disappointed and then turn around and probably had the best performance I’ve had since I’ve been here against Duke. So, go figure that one out. We play really well against the best team in the country and and don’t play particularly well against a very good Western Michigan team. So, disappointing weekend. Don’t take too much out of moral victories, but there was a lot to take from the Duke game and a lot of what not to do against Western Michigan. Do you think your team was looking ahead to Duke and maybe that’s what led to some of the miscues that caused you against Western Michigan? Did you feel that? Um, I didn’t in the first half. Um, I thought first half we played fine. Uh, we dominate the statistics in the first half. It was nil nil at halftime. We outshot them. We had more possession. And then for whatever reason, second half, I think obviously the wind plays a factor in the game, but uh second half we just came away from what we were doing. Um similar to the first three games of the season, we were compounding mistakes. The first goal we gave away was a result of five straight um 50/50 ball losses that ends up in the back of our our net from our own free kicks. So it’s just the compounding mistakes in that game that was frustrating. Um but we played really well on the first half, second half just not our team, not our identity. It was really disappointing the way we we gave both goals away. But uh to be fair to the players, we regrouped. We had quite a few uh big meetings after that game to to try and sort out uh where we’re at, what we’re doing, and I think finally we we we showed our identity on on Sunday against Duke. There was anything that you said over that stretch between Western Michigan and Duke that uh that sparked the team? Um, I think there was quite a few things said after after that game both ways as well. We wanted feedback from the players and we had some feedback and things we wanted to say as well. And credit to the girls, they regrouped. They refocused and I thought they were excellent against Duke and and if we play like that every game, we’re we’re going to be fine. What I have noticed about the team, the first four games of the season, we’ve been stuck in a cycle where we’re just not getting off. We’re competing in the first half, making mistakes in the second half, and the same mistakes keep reoccurring. Duke was the first game where I can honestly say we weren’t making the mistakes we’ve been making. Our growth in the Duke game went from zero to 100. Um, our growth in the other four games, I didn’t really see much. So, it was really pleasing to see that growth and and hopefully, as long as no complacency creeps in after that Duke performance, uh, hopefully that’s the team we see for the rest of the season. Jimmy, you’re here for a couple weeks now. How can you use this stretch to to get right, get into a routine, get this team to where you want it? Yeah, I mean it has been a tough road stretch against some of the best teams in the country. So, um I said to Scott, you might schedule me out of a job with this schedule. So, it’s probably one of the toughest in the country. So, it’s going to be nice to be at home in our own beds, sleeping, training on our own field, homefield advantage for the games. just not having to go anywhere, being here, just getting on a regular schedule is going to be huge for the team and just helps with all the preparation, not having to go travel and things like that. So, I think that’s going to be nice. We said that to the team this week. It’s going to be nice to be home for the next three weeks and they’re really excited about the upcoming games. Kind of challenges Arkansas present. Yeah. Um, completely different to Duke. So, um, this is a very, very good Arkansas team. They just knocked off BYU yesterday. Um, they’re going to be another top 10, top 15 program, probably competing to win the SEC this year. Um, they’re always up there. So, they’re very physical, very, very aggressive, really good size, very direct. So, they’re going to throw a completely different game at us to what Duke did. So, we’re going to have to prepare for that, which we did this morning and then tomorrow. Um, but just a very, very athletic team. Duke were a very, very possessionorientated team, extremely successful, probably the best team in the country at doing that. Um Arkansas are going to be run and gun. Probably the most physical and aggressive team in the country. So two totally different tests that we’re going to get. Uh but as the head coach, it’s my job to get the kids back on track. It’s get them going again. And as the leader of the program, that’s my job this week and next week to get them going. Georgetown starts near conference. So you know, I’m curious because this nomine, you know, you’re not going to be facing a lower level in the Big East when you jump out of nom. Do you still have kind of the phasing where you’re taking some some lumps right now that that a little shy. Yeah, that’s that’s the expectation. It’s like um you know Xavier had a massive win against Michigan State this week, but they they got beat comfortably by Virginia last week. Um and the best team in that conference is Doo. So, just like anything, it’s on the day. If if your team comes to perform, you’re capable of competing with anybody. And if you don’t, it’s difficult. But, uh this schedule was put together to get us ready for Big East. And it I’m I’m hoping that’s what it’s going to do. Did you see anything you see anything organizationally against Duke that was more consistent than it was against Western Michigan just that allowed you to hang in there? Yeah, we were just really disciplined, really organized. And then the thing for me is competing and being um you know fighting, tackling, scrapping, doing all the the other side of the game that we haven’t necessarily been doing this season, which was interesting because we only had one foul in the Duke game, but we were really organized defensively. Um our structure was very good. The players bought into what we were doing and um they executed it almost perfectly. It was even a scrappy goal that Duke got. It wasn’t even a great goal for them. Um, but we certainly had him on the ropes for long periods of time and I think that’s the closest game they’ve had at home in two years. So, you mentioned you’re hoping for on field advantage when when October Fest happens, you get a couple ranked teams, both you and the men’s side. What kind of an atmosphere are you hoping for? It Well, if there’s anything to go off last year, it was an amazing atmosphere. We had St. Louis who were top 25 last year and we we played into a nil nil tie. So, that that in soccer is not a bad thing by the way. Um, in other sports, obviously nil nil doesn’t go across well, but when you’re playing top 25 teams, if you can get something out of that game, it’s a it’s a good result. But can’t wait to play in front of the fans. Can’t wait to be home again um for another massive game on Friday night. It’s probably between them and Duke, two of the best teams in the country. Good. Thanks, guys. and shall.
