Dec. 7, 2003
USC Head Coach Jovan Vavic
"This has been an incredible season and there is nothing better than winning a national championship."
On the game:
"For my guys to come back, and especially for my freshmen to come back, and score that goal, I really think that tells what sports are all about. No one ever gave up out there tonight."
"This is a game that is all about match ups and we really match up well against Stanford with our deep bench and excellent goalie."
On previous Stanford matches:
"I don't think that any of our guys ever thought about our last games against Stanford. It is so exhausting out there that you don't really have time to think. You execute the best you can and just react."
On game strategy:
"Our strategy coming in to this game was to drive more than in our last games. But down the stretch, strategy gets thrown in the water and it all becomes about playing with heart and desire."
USC Goalie Bozidar Damjanovic
"It was tense from beginning to end, but it is always tense in a final game. Our whole team felt comfortable out there and we were not going to give up. What was most important for us is that wee just played our game."
Stanford Head Coach John Vargas
"I was very proud of the team and how we fought. I thought we played pretty well defensively, but give credit to USC, they played great. (USC's) Damjanov presents a lot of problems because of his size, but I thought we played pretty good defense to keep the game close."
Stanford 2-meter Defender Michael Derse
"Damjonov is very strong. He outweighs me by 70 pounds, but I tried to use my quickness. It was a battle the entire game."
"Damjonov is very strong. He outweighs me by 70 pounds, but I tried to use my quickness. It was a battle the entire game."