Nov. 30, 2001
PORTLAND FORWARD KELLY GRAY
ON THE PILOT'S OVERALL PERFORMANCE:
"They're the most disciplined team we've played all year, they simply don't make many mistakes. We're pretty good at capitalizing off other team's mistakes, but when they don't make any it's pretty tough to come back. We went out and gave it what we had and were unlucky with some shots off the post- if those go in, then it's a different game."
PORTLAND FORWARD NATE JAQUA:
ON STANFORD'S DEFENSE:
"They didn't do anything we didn't expect, but they definitely disrupted play. Stanford is very physical and it was hard to get through them. The backs are very disciplined."
PORTLAND HEAD COACH CLIVE CHARLES:
ON HIS TEAM'S OVERALL PERFORMANCE:
"They're a very well-disciplined team and they don't give anything away. You have to earn everything you get against them. I knew when we were a goal down it would be difficult to come back. I think we had the best chance of the game earlier on and hit the crossbar twice. They scored their first goal and we had six people around the ball, and they had three. So they found a way to put the ball in the net and we didn't. In the second half, I thought the game was quite even until they scored their second goal. Now we had dug ourselves a real hole, and we still had seven people in the back behind the ball when they scored their second goal. But there was no pressure on the ball...On the night the best team won, and we have no complaints."
ON PORTLAND'S SEVERAL ALMOST-GOALS:
"In the playoffs, those goals have to go in. We actually created more chances today than we did in our match against Washington."
PORTLAND GOALKEEPER CURTIS SPITERI:
ON HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE STANFORD FANS:
"You try and focus it out as much as you can. That's what you expect when you're on the road, and everything is going against you. You live for that stuff, but obviously you try to drain that out as much as you can during the match. They had a few good opportunities, and they finished them well. They're a really good counter-attacking team but when we have six guys in the box that's not how it should work out. So I think there were a few opportunities where we shouldn't have given up those goals."
STANFORD HEAD COACH BRET SIMON:
TALKING ABOUT STANFORD'S VICTORY:
"Portland is a very good team and they've gotten a lot better since the first time we saw them. Watching them play tonight, they are playing very confidently and their superstar guys really stepped it up tonight. It took everything we could do to contain them, with a little bit of help from the crossbar."
ON STANFORD'S POSTSEASON STATUS:"Luckily this time of year you have a full week to prepare for one opponent. The biggest thing right now is that we are the first of the eight teams through and we can sit back and take our time and heal our bumps and bruises...I think any team that has made it this far, has had a good year and won't feel like to much of an underdog."
STANFORD FORWARD ROGER LEVESQUE:
ON GETTING BACK INTO THE ACTION:
"I was just excited to be back on the field again. After last week, it was almost more difficult watching from the stands. The team played great and it was another solid effort tonight."
TALKING ABOUT FORWARD MATT JANUSZ:
"It's nothing new to me. I've played with him last year and again this year, and he's just a great finisher around the goal."
ON HIS SECOND GOAL OF THE MATCH:
"My left foot probably isn't as strong as Matt's (Janusz). Matt Moses made a run for it and played a great ball to my feet and I saw a defender coming across and cut through the middle of the goal and ended up hitting it. With the field in the shape that it was and the footing of the goalkeeper, it's tough to make reaction saves and to get off the ground. I think he had a tough time getting to it, and it bounced off his gloves and rolled into the side of the net."
STANFORD FORWARD MATT JANUSZ:
ON BEING REUNITED WITH ROGER LEVESQUE ON OFFENSE:
"It always makes it easier when Roger is out there working hard because you know you have to be at his level. He's just a great leader out there for the younger forwards and a great player."
DESCRIBING HIS GOAL:
"Johanes (Maliza) got the ball about 25 yards out and I was kind of frozen because he was just running right at me. Then he cut to the left side and split two defenders. I was right there and called for the ball, even though I thought he was going to shoot it. He played a great ball right to my foot and I was able to get it to my left foot and it just happened to go in. He would have been there for the rebound anyway because he was running right through and had a tremendous second half."
STANFORD GOALKEEPER ANDREW TERRIS:
"Two weekends in a row, you can't beat it when your strikers are scoring three goals a game. It makes your job a lot easier and takes some of the pressure off myself and the back four. It's just phenomenal."