UCF Midfielder Maria Tregansin Talks Retaining Team Captain Role
UCF midfielder, and team captain, Maria Tregansin speaks with the media at the Knights' Fall Sports Media Day. Special Thanks to Eric Lopez for recording this footage.
Video Transcript
All right, Captain is here another year.
How are you feeling going into the opener?
Super excited, I think.
I have a hard time expressing just how excited I am to get started.
We've put a lot of work into this leading up to this point, so just excited to see everyone play their game and get started, get this going.
What did you learn from last year, making the NCAA tournament, round of 32?
I was just talking there to Jada there.
Is there like an extra juice there?
Hey, there's more here for sure.
Yeah, you, you get a little taste of what it's like to be in the.
NCAA's and I believe the last time we were in the NCAAs before last year was 2222.
That's when I was a sophomore.
So um for the girls that have been around, you get a little taste of what it's like to make it to the second round and you just want to keep going back, you know, so I think this year we're hungry and even the new girls that are coming on from the spring, I think they also have a bit of hunger in them as well.
Tell me about the new players there.
What stands out about them?
Um, they're.
Willingness to be bought into the team so quickly, um, I think I was talking to Bella Douglas the other day and I was like, it feels like she's been around for so long because of how close and like integrated these players have become in our team, um, so.
They're just special, honestly, I love them.
They've bought into this team so quickly.
They're eager to learn.
They're eager to prove themselves and to integrate themselves in the culture as well, so I have nothing but great things to say about all the new girls.
All the players rave about you as a captain.
Talk about your leadership skills and what makes you a great captain.
I don't know.
I mean, I don't really reflect on it much.
I kind of just try to be myself and I think that, you know, I think people respect authenticity, um, but I think I try to lead with belief in love.
Um, I think if the belief the belief is there, the girls know when I'm giving them constructive criticism or I'm asking for more and I'm asking for better, that they know it's from a place of belief that I know they can get the job done.
And more importantly, I lead with love.
I want the girls to know that I love them more than anything else and that they are my priority, and um yeah, I'll do anything for them.
So that's how I try to lead.
Talk about the new goalkeepers.
Obviously that's going to be some focus do you all as players.
Talked about, hey, let's make it easier on the goalkeepers as they get settled in to do your part and help them, you know, sort of get settled in there.
Yeah, for sure, when with uh Genesis leaving that leaves a big gap.
Obviously Genesis was a phenomenal player and a great leader on the team as well, um, with the new goalies coming in, Virginia as a freshman, um, Kay and Ansley and Bree.
I mean we've just been trying to do our best to integrate them as quickly as possible and to know that we believe in them and all we need is for them to believe in themselves and we're gonna be great, you know, um so I think integrating them as fast as possible and also over communicating, teaching them the ways of our team, how we build up and all of those things that are important, um, I think overcommunication has been very important as well.
Last question from me.
What is the, the key to this season that for this group to continue the success you had last year, but even go further?
I think hunger, um, no, no season is given to you, even though we had a great season last year.
That doesn't mean we'll automatically have a great season again.
I believe we have the players to do it.
I think we just need to keep persevering and find our identity as a team, as a new team.
