Nov. 10, 2005
The end to the regular season is fast approaching, maybe a little too fast for Washington's six-man senior class. They will be playing their final regular season matches versus Oregon State Sunday, with postseason hopes riding on the result. Two-year captain Mike Chabala sat down with GoHuskies.com correspondent Mike Bruscas after training, Thursday, to talk about that last regular season home match and assess the Huskies' season thus far.
GoHuskies.com: So this weekend is Senior Day, who do you have coming to the game?
Mike Chabala: "My family is big on the whole surprise thing. I know my mother and father are coming. I kind of suspect my grandpa might be coming, and I've got a feeling there might be more. Hey, whoever comes, but they're big into surprises so we'll see."
GH: Where is your family located? Do they see you play much?
MC: "Everybody's in California mostly, but they came to a lot of games this year. They flew up here a couple times and went to all the California games. We were there a lot so they got to come to all those."
GH: Do you expect to get a little emotional?
MC: "I put a lot of time and I've invested a lot into this program, but I wouldn't say yes or I wouldn't say no. I mean, I know that my emotions will just be driven towards the game and I'll focus it there first."
GH: Is it hard to believe that your last regular season game is this weekend?
MC: "Yeah, it still really hasn't hit me, but it's starting to. I'll be laying in bed and I just start thinking about it. But it has been a great ride, it's been fantastic. And as much as I'm looking forward to the future, I'm still looking forward to the future of our season. We're in a great position after that last win to be in control."
GH: Is this a must-win game?
MC: "Without a doubt. The seniors, the captains, Ty and myself, have an edge. There's a little urgency within us, which is really good to see. We control from here on out. We look at it as a must-win game so we can get to 11-6-2, which will be for sure, okay, we're in the playoffs, not sitting on Monday unsure of what's going to happen. We also just look at it like preparing us for postseason as well. Coming off stumbling it's like you've got to get it right for the next game, where if you're winning you have the momentum and can just keep going."
GH: Looking back, is this where you thought the team would be at this point of the season?
MC: "I would have thought we would be in a better position, but it's tough when we haven't scored goals. It's been a challenge for us. It has been pretty arduous. We haven't really been able to put them in the back of the net as much as we'd like. It's been good that a lot of guys have contributed and I think that's a good theme for our team. It's a true team and that's what's going to take us far. We talked about getting more guys in the game which happened against Gonzaga. That's a key for us."
GH: So the win against Gonzaga was another thriller for you guys.
MC: "Yeah, that's kind of our calling card. It's a pretty dramatic style. But you know our team's got a good belief system and an unwillingness to give in and that's been called upon more than I would have liked this year. But the good thing about it is you look over the course of the season and we've pretty much had every single game you could possibly imagine. Being down a man and going out and still carrying on and winning a game. We've been down two goals and came back to win. We've been up 1-0, or 2-0, we've done it all, so with that there is confidence. It's reassuring to do that."
GH: Has there been an increasing rivalry with Oregon State recently?
MC: "When I first came in here on my official visit, I think the team (UW) was in the top-five in the country, they were really good. They put Oregon State away maybe 5-2, something like that. I was like 'wow, these guys always crush them.' But the next year we had a bad year and since then they've got some good recruits. They're really athletic and a real direct team. Sometimes in college soccer that's just a way to play. When you put guys under pressure that aren't really comfortable with it, it can cause teams to make mistakes and that's what they play for. With us though we have a really good, solid back line. Our midfield's great. So it's basically just being able to keep that under control and play through it, and match that intensity."
GH: What does the team need to do different against the Beavers this time?
MC: "We're going to be at home, which is another big lift. Playing down there just hasn't been right in like four years. Being back home though, obviously there's an urgent mindset that we've got going on which is crucial. We've got to be really competitive, first to every ball, it's just got to be this relentless, challenging attitude. We have got to be physical, it's going to be a battle just like the Gonzaga game. If we do that and get the ball on the floor and play, we shouldn't have any problem. Then again, we did lose to them, so there's a lot at stake."
GH: Do you think the team plays the best with their backs against the wall?
MC:
"We didn't play our best against Gonzaga, but we had a purpose and we knew what we had to do. Some of the games we lost this season, there were times where we just did not have that urgency that we needed to go get that goal. We were just kind of like alright, maybe it will come. But against Gonzaga we were just pushing because we knew everything was on the line."
GH: How long now before you graduate?
MC: "I'm fortunate that I took the right steps earlier here because I'm going to finish this quarter. So I'm taking 22 credits, and honestly I would say I probably haven't spent as much time studying as I probably should have, but I'm getting it done and that's the kind of way I like to think our team's going to do it. Just getting it done. It's a job, it's business, for me this is my job being here. So getting this win is a must and then going on in postseason."
GH: So what are your plans after school?
MC: "Obviously, pro soccer. So I don't know where I'm going to end up or what's going to happen with that. I'll maybe go to the combine and see where I get picked up and go from there. My hope is to get to the MLS first and build my way up for a couple years and then hopefully go to Europe. But I've still got to develop and work on things in my own game. I'm just trying to take my team far because if a team does well then individuals do well too."
