August 28, 2024 • 7 mins
Erica Demers is in her second season as the Head Coach of the UC Women's Soccer program. She joined us on ESPN1530.
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Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
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Instagram too: @MoEgger
Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
In a three game homestand with a tilt tomorrow night
against Louisville. This is going to be inside Getler Stadium.
Kickoff is at seven o'clock. The head coach of the
Bearcats in her second season, and now that Joey Vado
is no longer in Cincinnati, we could say our favorite
Cincinnati sports figure from Ontario, Erica demerses with this coach,
(00:21):
It's good to have you. How are you.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Wow, that's a great introduction. I will take that. I'm
doing really really well. Thank you so much. Thanks for
having me.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
So of course that's really good company. We hold Joey
in very high esteem. So you're in You're in good
company there. Just keep that in mind.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Well, dude, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
All Right.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
So it's it's year two and for you, and so
year one for you is hectic, and it's it's even
more hectic now because you know, kids come and kids leave,
and you're starting in the Big twelve. So has the
start of this season at least been, for lack of
a better way of putting it, at least a little
more a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Calm and yeah, one hundred percent. You know, I think
we still have a lot of growth to do, and
our players know that. But you know, at the same time,
we're heading in the right direction. You know, I think
we'd love to be three and oh right now. But
you know, I think at the same time too, you know,
we flipped up. I think on Sunday, you know, a
(01:18):
couple couple of errors early in the game, and our
kudos to our players, they kept you know, fighting and
scrapping to get themselves back into the.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Game and we got one back. We just couldn't find
that second one back.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
But you know, I think, like you said earlier, right, like,
a lot of new faces, a lot of changes within
our program.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
But our players are doing a really good job.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
To just continue to be adaptable every single day, not
only too obviously the new level of the Big twelve,
but then obviously our staff as well. So since you know,
January twenty twenty three hit and we hit the ground
running with this program. So it's been Yeah, it's been
a lot of changes for the girls, but they're doing
a great job to just give us everything they can
every day and learn as they move right, learn as
(01:58):
they go throughout the thirty every training session, in every
single match.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Yeah, no, no question, so it's it's at least nice
you get a chance for a bit of a home
stand after playing your two of your last three on
the road. You've got eight freshmen and three transfers from
other programs. So walk me through the process of blending everybody,
including obviously your your returning players together.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Well, we're excited to be home. You know, Gettler is
obviously pretty special to us. We played very very well
at home. We want to make sure that we take
care of our home games. So excited for these next
three games for the players first and foremost. And then yeah,
I think when you're looking at a roster, right, you're
trying to build a roster for for this new level now,
and that took some time. You know, that took some time.
And but you know, I think for us, you know,
(02:42):
not only the roster itself, but how we want to
play right, the positional expectations that we have within our roster.
You know, for me, my style of play is to
try to keep the ball a little bit more. You know,
the old style was you know a little bit more
long ball, which is there's no right or wrong to it, right,
(03:03):
but we have to you have to look at the
personnel within that as well, to make sure that we
are teaching our players these new positional expectations and how
we want to play the game. So you know, when
you're looking at building that roster, you're looking at players
that can help you, you know, get to that point faster.
The better your you know, better your program as you
go through every single year. So that was why we
(03:25):
had you know, newcomers in some changes, you know, with transfers,
because we needed again those players that could help us
keep the ball and be more of a playmaking team
than a long ball team. So but they're they're getting it.
They're getting it. We're not there yet, but we're getting it.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
No, and and and time to get it. But obviously
you want that process to to move along quickly. What
is what is the most difficult part of the transition
for an incoming college freshmen to this level of soccer
after playing at the high school and club level.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Yeah, you know, I think it's a it's a couple
of things, you know. I think first and foremost that
speed of play is always something I think.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
You know, we have a good group that have played
at some.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Really high levels, you know, ECNL girls academy, two pretty
high levels within the youth system, But anytime you step
into that college realm, the physicality of the game increases immediately,
the speed of the game increases immediately, and then the
consistency within those training sessions is something you know that
the youth players aren't necessarily used to.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
You know, there's in there's this new expectation now that every.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Day they come and give their absolute best and then
are consistent with that performance. So I think it's a
lot of things with freshmen, and you try to acclimate
them as fast as possible, but you know, until you
really get into those games to really see you know,
that level, that intensity, it just takes some time.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
You know, it really does take some time. But they're
getting it.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
You know, I'm really proud of some of our freshmen
that have stepped in. You know, we've had three or
four that have consistently gotten minutes every single game for
us so far, and they've been acclimating really really well
to the college game.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
You know, there are and this might be a dumb question,
and god knows, I've asked many in my career, but
like you know, folks who follow college football, the kids
go through camp. The season doesn't start until you know
that the last day of August, your kids have been
playing in competitions, in games and including scrimmages that started
in early August. So kind of walk me through how
(05:22):
the off season works where you guys are playing in
competitions weeks before anybody steps into a classroom.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
And the thing two with it is that we actually
get the least amount of time to prepare our players
for those first exhibition games. And I know that's been
talked about in the NCAA. I do hope that those
conversations now are acted upon because we do need more time, right,
we do need more time with our players.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
But you're absolutely right, Like, the.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
One good thing we do have is we get about
three and a half weeks with them before classes start.
And what I always say to the players, and I
think they might think I'm crazy when it's them this,
but because everyone has this whole facade that preseason is
the hardest, right, that's the grind.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Well, I'm just the opposite. I saw my players.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
I think preseason's easy because once you know, people come
back on campus and classes start, now you've got a
lot more expectations on your plate. That's when I truly
think it's hard. But we've talked to a lot of
our players with that, and you know, I'm excited for
you know, as it continued to progress and adapt to
you know, all of these changes and you know, these
(06:28):
news ideas pulling at them, new things pulling at them
that they just keep consistent with our day to day.
But it's definitely a process though. But you're right now,
like it is nice that we get the team for
about three weeks we start our season before classes even start.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
I walked to my mailbox last night and I thought
I was gonna melt. How are you guys handling the heat?
Speaker 2 (06:49):
It's been pretty brutal.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
I'm not gonna lie to the last few days where
it was Yeah, it was hard, it was odd, but
you know, we wanted to make sure that we kept
training because that's what we're going to see tomorrow night, right,
And we were actually we trained in the morning, so it.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Was even a little bit hotter.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
I'm hoping by seven pm at kickoff, the sun goes down,
we gets that beautiful sunset behind Getler Stadium, So I'm
hoping by seven pm it'll be a little bit cooler
than what we've been training in these last two days.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Let's hope. So tomorrow night at seven o'clock, it's a
tie die game at Gittler Stadium and mission is free.
Starts at seven o'clock Kids Day for the one o'clock
match on Sunday against Eastern Michigan, and then Bark in
the Park on September the fifth as the Bearcats host Butler.
Awesome to have you and we'll do it again, thanks
so much, coach Awesome, thank you so much for the
(07:37):
time anytime. Erica Dumer is the soccer coach women's soccer
coach at the University of Cincinnati. Bearcats have played three matches.
They have a three match home stand starting tomorrow night.
In a three game homestand with a tilt tomorrow night
against Louisville. This is going to be inside Getler Stadium.
Kickoff is at seven o'clock. The head coach of the
Bearcats in her second season, and now that Joey Vado
is no longer in Cincinnati, we could say our favorite
Cincinnati sports figure from Ontario, Erica demerses with this coach,
(00:21):
It's good to have you. How are you.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Wow, that's a great introduction. I will take that. I'm
doing really really well. Thank you so much. Thanks for
having me.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
So of course that's really good company. We hold Joey
in very high esteem. So you're in You're in good
company there. Just keep that in mind.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Well, dude, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
All Right.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
So it's it's year two and for you, and so
year one for you is hectic, and it's it's even
more hectic now because you know, kids come and kids leave,
and you're starting in the Big twelve. So has the
start of this season at least been, for lack of
a better way of putting it, at least a little
more a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Calm and yeah, one hundred percent. You know, I think
we still have a lot of growth to do, and
our players know that. But you know, at the same time,
we're heading in the right direction. You know, I think
we'd love to be three and oh right now. But
you know, I think at the same time too, you know,
we flipped up. I think on Sunday, you know, a
(01:18):
couple couple of errors early in the game, and our
kudos to our players, they kept you know, fighting and
scrapping to get themselves back into the.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Game and we got one back. We just couldn't find
that second one back.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
But you know, I think, like you said earlier, right, like,
a lot of new faces, a lot of changes within
our program.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
But our players are doing a really good job.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
To just continue to be adaptable every single day, not
only too obviously the new level of the Big twelve,
but then obviously our staff as well. So since you know,
January twenty twenty three hit and we hit the ground
running with this program. So it's been Yeah, it's been
a lot of changes for the girls, but they're doing
a great job to just give us everything they can
every day and learn as they move right, learn as
(01:58):
they go throughout the thirty every training session, in every
single match.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Yeah, no, no question, so it's it's at least nice
you get a chance for a bit of a home
stand after playing your two of your last three on
the road. You've got eight freshmen and three transfers from
other programs. So walk me through the process of blending everybody,
including obviously your your returning players together.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Well, we're excited to be home. You know, Gettler is
obviously pretty special to us. We played very very well
at home. We want to make sure that we take
care of our home games. So excited for these next
three games for the players first and foremost. And then yeah,
I think when you're looking at a roster, right, you're
trying to build a roster for for this new level now,
and that took some time. You know, that took some time.
And but you know, I think for us, you know,
(02:42):
not only the roster itself, but how we want to
play right, the positional expectations that we have within our roster.
You know, for me, my style of play is to
try to keep the ball a little bit more. You know,
the old style was you know a little bit more
long ball, which is there's no right or wrong to it, right,
(03:03):
but we have to you have to look at the
personnel within that as well, to make sure that we
are teaching our players these new positional expectations and how
we want to play the game. So you know, when
you're looking at building that roster, you're looking at players
that can help you, you know, get to that point faster.
The better your you know, better your program as you
go through every single year. So that was why we
(03:25):
had you know, newcomers in some changes, you know, with transfers,
because we needed again those players that could help us
keep the ball and be more of a playmaking team
than a long ball team. So but they're they're getting it.
They're getting it. We're not there yet, but we're getting it.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
No, and and and time to get it. But obviously
you want that process to to move along quickly. What
is what is the most difficult part of the transition
for an incoming college freshmen to this level of soccer
after playing at the high school and club level.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Yeah, you know, I think it's a it's a couple
of things, you know. I think first and foremost that
speed of play is always something I think.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
You know, we have a good group that have played
at some.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Really high levels, you know, ECNL girls academy, two pretty
high levels within the youth system, But anytime you step
into that college realm, the physicality of the game increases immediately,
the speed of the game increases immediately, and then the
consistency within those training sessions is something you know that
the youth players aren't necessarily used to.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
You know, there's in there's this new expectation now that every.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Day they come and give their absolute best and then
are consistent with that performance. So I think it's a
lot of things with freshmen, and you try to acclimate
them as fast as possible, but you know, until you
really get into those games to really see you know,
that level, that intensity, it just takes some time.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
You know, it really does take some time. But they're
getting it.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
You know, I'm really proud of some of our freshmen
that have stepped in. You know, we've had three or
four that have consistently gotten minutes every single game for
us so far, and they've been acclimating really really well
to the college game.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
You know, there are and this might be a dumb question,
and god knows, I've asked many in my career, but
like you know, folks who follow college football, the kids
go through camp. The season doesn't start until you know
that the last day of August, your kids have been
playing in competitions, in games and including scrimmages that started
in early August. So kind of walk me through how
(05:22):
the off season works where you guys are playing in
competitions weeks before anybody steps into a classroom.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
And the thing two with it is that we actually
get the least amount of time to prepare our players
for those first exhibition games. And I know that's been
talked about in the NCAA. I do hope that those
conversations now are acted upon because we do need more time, right,
we do need more time with our players.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
But you're absolutely right, Like, the.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
One good thing we do have is we get about
three and a half weeks with them before classes start.
And what I always say to the players, and I
think they might think I'm crazy when it's them this,
but because everyone has this whole facade that preseason is
the hardest, right, that's the grind.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Well, I'm just the opposite. I saw my players.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
I think preseason's easy because once you know, people come
back on campus and classes start, now you've got a
lot more expectations on your plate. That's when I truly
think it's hard. But we've talked to a lot of
our players with that, and you know, I'm excited for
you know, as it continued to progress and adapt to
you know, all of these changes and you know, these
(06:28):
news ideas pulling at them, new things pulling at them
that they just keep consistent with our day to day.
But it's definitely a process though. But you're right now,
like it is nice that we get the team for
about three weeks we start our season before classes even start.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
I walked to my mailbox last night and I thought
I was gonna melt. How are you guys handling the heat?
Speaker 2 (06:49):
It's been pretty brutal.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
I'm not gonna lie to the last few days where
it was Yeah, it was hard, it was odd, but
you know, we wanted to make sure that we kept
training because that's what we're going to see tomorrow night, right,
And we were actually we trained in the morning, so it.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Was even a little bit hotter.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
I'm hoping by seven pm at kickoff, the sun goes down,
we gets that beautiful sunset behind Getler Stadium, So I'm
hoping by seven pm it'll be a little bit cooler
than what we've been training in these last two days.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Let's hope. So tomorrow night at seven o'clock, it's a
tie die game at Gittler Stadium and mission is free.
Starts at seven o'clock Kids Day for the one o'clock
match on Sunday against Eastern Michigan, and then Bark in
the Park on September the fifth as the Bearcats host Butler.
Awesome to have you and we'll do it again, thanks
so much, coach Awesome, thank you so much for the
(07:37):
time anytime. Erica Dumer is the soccer coach women's soccer
coach at the University of Cincinnati. Bearcats have played three matches.
They have a three match home stand starting tomorrow night.
Mo Egger News
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