Q & A With Field Hockey Senior Ashley Pernicano
9/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Sept. 11, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State field hockey senior Ashley Pernicano is one of only five returning starters for the Spartans. Of her four goals last season, two of them were game-winners. In addition, Pernicano tallied four assists putting her at 12 points for the year. She is well on her way to surpassing that mark, already posting six points in the first six games of the season.
Q: How would you describe your role on the team?
A: "I just got voted team captain, but in general I try to lead by example and show the underclassmen what needs to be done on and off the field. You have to work hard and keep pushing through the hard times; If they see me doing it then they will do it too. I just try to stay positive."
Q: How do you deal with the competitive schedule the team has?
A: "We have a game plan for each game and we try to stick to that game plan. The coaches scout the teams and sometimes we watch film, but we just want to stick to our game and not play down to anyone's level or play their game. If we stick with our game plan then I think we can really do well."
Q: Is there any team you're really looking forward to facing this year?
A: "I'm usually looking forward to every game. It's my last year so I want to play them all out the best I can, but Michigan is always a big rival."
Q: How do you see the team stacking up in the Big Ten this year?
A: "I think we have a really good chance against the Big Ten. We haven't played a Big Ten team yet, but in the spring we did really well. Hopefully the addition of our new freshmen will help us outperform our Big Ten opponents."
Q: What is it like having Rolf as the head coach this year?
A: "Rolf has been really open with all of us, which helped made the transition really smooth. I think he tells us how it is. He lets you know if you're going to play that day and you just go out and do your best."
Q: What are your personal goals for the season?
A: "My personal goal is to play every game to the best of my ability. I don't want to go out thinking I could have done better or saying `I should have scored that goal.' I just want to go out, play hard everyday, and win."
Q: What do you think the team needs to do to be successful?
A: "Just stay together and do everything as a team. We have a lot of great individual players but if we break away and do our own thing it is not going to work."
Q: How would you say this year's team is different than last year's?
A: "I think we all get along better. We had a lot of really good individual players last year. We have a lot of new Dutch girls and we love them. They get along really well with all of us."
Q: How was playing in Australia this summer?
A: "It was great. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested. It was a good experience to see how foreigners play and the different styles they have. I just think it's interesting to go out there, learn some new techniques, and bring them back here and introduce it into the program."
Q: What inspired you to play field hockey?
A: "Actually it was my high school coach. I had never heard of field hockey prior to high school. She went to Central Michigan and came back and started coaching at my school. Once she said she thought I could play at the next level, I followed in her footsteps."
Q: What sports had you played before you became interested in field hockey?
A: "I played soccer and softball since I was five."
