August 3, 2024 • 7 mins
Nicole Van Dyke, Head Coach of the Washington Huskies’ Women’s Soccer Team, joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about her program joining the Big Ten officially today, the travel situation for the team now in a larger conference, and the competition.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, it's also day one today for you, dubbed
Dick and the Big Ten. Patchen Chun was on with
us in the first hour, but joining us right now
on the radio show. I believe they will be the
very first Washington team to play a game in the
Big Ten as a Big Ten team. The women's soccer
team will technically take on USC who's now a Big
(00:21):
Ten team, in September on the twelfth, but then things
get real when they travel to Maryland to take on
the Terrapins in a conference game on September nineteenth. The
Colt Vandyke, the women's soccer coach over UDUB, is with
us right now on the radio show. Coach Van Dyke,
how are you.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
I'm great, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Well, we appreciate you doing this. How weird is this
for you, guys? I mean, you're a West Coast person
with the West Coast team and a West Coast school
and West Coast players, and now you're going to be
recruiting all over the country, all over the nation, playing
teams from coast to coast. Tell us about how kind
of odd this whole transition has been for you guys
so far.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I think you know the I think everyone was a
bit uh, you know, bittersweet leaving the PAC twelve. And
then you know, once the dust settles on that, you
you become super excited about, you know, all the newness.
I think, you know, we're we're a team pretty much
compiled of all West Coast players outside of our our
(01:23):
two international students, and so I think it's exciting because
it's it's actually expanded our own recruiting base because now
we get the opportunity to play in all these new
places and see different parts of the country, compete against
some of the top talent and top schools, while also
bringing what we bring and what this you know institution,
(01:45):
University of Washington brings and the brand that comes with
it and our style. So we're equally excited about you know,
bringing us and showcasing what we have across the country
and and yeah, kind of focusing on you know that
that component really but on that on with that note,
our West Coast they're also excited about the new, new
(02:06):
new places.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Tell us a little bit about the the history of
you at U dub women's soccer, because maybe a lot
of people listening aren't really familiar with what you guys
have accomplished in the past.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yeah, I mean I think there, you know, there's a
tremendous amount of history. I think, you know, whether it's
from an international national team standpoint, or whether it's you know,
in the NWSL or just playing playing professionally in many
different countries, we've had a lot of success. I mean,
obviously Hope Solo uh Tina from pong Ellerton, some tremendous
(02:41):
players that have played at the highest level have come
come from the University of Washington. We've done well in
the tournament, you know, we recently have Sweet sixteen run.
We've been to the Elee eight a few times, and
so I think as we're building here and you know,
under the new staff, we're excited about getting back there
and so a very exciting group to watch. I think
(03:08):
our fan base, our fan base just enjoys our attacking style.
So we're looking forward to the new stand I think
it's just you know, bringing our brand and our style
all across the country is really going to I think
help us continue to recruit the top talent because over
the last three years we've done, you know, a really
(03:28):
good job finding the right fit for the type of
player that's going to help us be successful. So we're
kind of building into that right now, and our players
are getting a little bit older. So it's an exciting
time if you're a new a new fan, or you know,
if you want to come out and support us, because
at the future, I think it's pretty bright.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Well, Nicole Vandyke UW women's soccer coach with us on
the air in that first home match exhibition. Uh, I
believe next Friday against British Columbia. Get things going against
Wyoming on the fifteenth. Over at U up with the
Big ten schedule starts against USC in September, and you
got the road trip to Maryland and then Rutgers and
then one more later against Iowa Nebraska. Nicole, when you
(04:10):
take road trips like that, will you stay on the
East coast come back home? What's your plan for those
road trips?
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Yeah? I think you know, the travel component has been,
you know, one of the big talking points for a
lot of people. And when you look at our schedule,
it's very similar to what we did in the Pac
twelve and so we actually feel that it's an advantage
to us because here we're used to taking five day
road trips because again, we played Thursday and Sunday, just
(04:40):
with how the soccer schedule works. So you know, when
we really when we travel to the East, we're maybe
spending one extra day. But I think we're you know,
we're well versed in how we travel and the I
think we've actually done even more research now here just
with the resources that we have how to travel that much,
we're efficiently how to recover, whether it's time change and
(05:04):
all those things that come with it. So but you know,
again it's not too much different. I think in the
Big Ten they'll probably have to adjust a little bit
more to that than we do because their trips weren't
as long. They might be home on the Thursday and
travel on the Sunday. So I think there's you know,
there's adjustments for us as far as maybe in a
(05:26):
couple hours on the trip, but there's also adjustments for
everyone across the conference, which I think brings out, you know,
it's not a one size fits all for everybody.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Talk about the competition and what it's like coming into
the Big Ten compared to what you've seen the last
few years in the Pac twelve.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Yeah, I think the competition, you know, the Big Ten
has had had a lot of success, especially last season,
with a significant amount of teams making it into the tournament,
and so I think that breeds itself. Whereas the PAC twelve.
You know, in any given year there were teams. There
were times where nine out of the twelve teams from
(06:05):
the PAC twelve we're making the tournament, and so over
the last couple of years that's maybe gone down to
five or six. And then when you think about what
we bring to the Big Ten as far as the
teams and the competition, it's it arguably the top conference
in the country for women's soccer. So to be a
(06:27):
part of that, to compete with that, to recruit those players,
I think it just continues to raise the standard of
where we want to be. And ultimately we know here
here at Washington we want to compete for championships. So
we're going to be facing I think across the schedule
i'd say about ten ten teams in the top fifty,
(06:47):
so a significant challenge. However, I think we're peaking at
the right time and we're building at the right time
to face that competition. So we're excited to get started
and to compete again against him with the top talent.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
September twelfth, six thirty pm, so Thursday night, the first
official Big Ten Conference matchup featuring a Husky team as
the Dogs take on USC, which is also in the
Big Ten. Two x PAC twelve teams will kick off
Big Ten play in Seattle on the Big Ten Network
on September the twelfth, on Thursday at six thirty the
(07:23):
cole great stuff. Good luck to you guys this year,
and congrats on being the first team to get this
thing going for you dub Man.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Thanks coaching.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Yeah, we'll try to get this party started off the
right way. Thank you all for having.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Us you bet. Nicole Van Dyke, the head coach at
Women's Soccer over at you dub The first team that
will play a Big ten game with you Dub is
the women's soccer team, and again that will be on
September the twelfth. We've got a break. Scott Servis has
some updates justin Hollander as well. There's a lot going
on with the Mariners that you're gonna want to hear.
Next on ninety three three KJARFM
All right, it's also day one today for you, dubbed
Dick and the Big Ten. Patchen Chun was on with
us in the first hour, but joining us right now
on the radio show. I believe they will be the
very first Washington team to play a game in the
Big Ten as a Big Ten team. The women's soccer
team will technically take on USC who's now a Big
(00:21):
Ten team, in September on the twelfth, but then things
get real when they travel to Maryland to take on
the Terrapins in a conference game on September nineteenth. The
Colt Vandyke, the women's soccer coach over UDUB, is with
us right now on the radio show. Coach Van Dyke,
how are you.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
I'm great, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Well, we appreciate you doing this. How weird is this
for you, guys? I mean, you're a West Coast person
with the West Coast team and a West Coast school
and West Coast players, and now you're going to be
recruiting all over the country, all over the nation, playing
teams from coast to coast. Tell us about how kind
of odd this whole transition has been for you guys
so far.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I think you know the I think everyone was a
bit uh, you know, bittersweet leaving the PAC twelve. And
then you know, once the dust settles on that, you
you become super excited about, you know, all the newness.
I think, you know, we're we're a team pretty much
compiled of all West Coast players outside of our our
(01:23):
two international students, and so I think it's exciting because
it's it's actually expanded our own recruiting base because now
we get the opportunity to play in all these new
places and see different parts of the country, compete against
some of the top talent and top schools, while also
bringing what we bring and what this you know institution,
(01:45):
University of Washington brings and the brand that comes with
it and our style. So we're equally excited about you know,
bringing us and showcasing what we have across the country
and and yeah, kind of focusing on you know that
that component really but on that on with that note,
our West Coast they're also excited about the new, new
(02:06):
new places.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Tell us a little bit about the the history of
you at U dub women's soccer, because maybe a lot
of people listening aren't really familiar with what you guys
have accomplished in the past.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yeah, I mean I think there, you know, there's a
tremendous amount of history. I think, you know, whether it's
from an international national team standpoint, or whether it's you know,
in the NWSL or just playing playing professionally in many
different countries, we've had a lot of success. I mean,
obviously Hope Solo uh Tina from pong Ellerton, some tremendous
(02:41):
players that have played at the highest level have come
come from the University of Washington. We've done well in
the tournament, you know, we recently have Sweet sixteen run.
We've been to the Elee eight a few times, and
so I think as we're building here and you know,
under the new staff, we're excited about getting back there
and so a very exciting group to watch. I think
(03:08):
our fan base, our fan base just enjoys our attacking style.
So we're looking forward to the new stand I think
it's just you know, bringing our brand and our style
all across the country is really going to I think
help us continue to recruit the top talent because over
the last three years we've done, you know, a really
(03:28):
good job finding the right fit for the type of
player that's going to help us be successful. So we're
kind of building into that right now, and our players
are getting a little bit older. So it's an exciting
time if you're a new a new fan, or you know,
if you want to come out and support us, because
at the future, I think it's pretty bright.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Well, Nicole Vandyke UW women's soccer coach with us on
the air in that first home match exhibition. Uh, I
believe next Friday against British Columbia. Get things going against
Wyoming on the fifteenth. Over at U up with the
Big ten schedule starts against USC in September, and you
got the road trip to Maryland and then Rutgers and
then one more later against Iowa Nebraska. Nicole, when you
(04:10):
take road trips like that, will you stay on the
East coast come back home? What's your plan for those
road trips?
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Yeah? I think you know, the travel component has been,
you know, one of the big talking points for a
lot of people. And when you look at our schedule,
it's very similar to what we did in the Pac
twelve and so we actually feel that it's an advantage
to us because here we're used to taking five day
road trips because again, we played Thursday and Sunday, just
(04:40):
with how the soccer schedule works. So you know, when
we really when we travel to the East, we're maybe
spending one extra day. But I think we're you know,
we're well versed in how we travel and the I
think we've actually done even more research now here just
with the resources that we have how to travel that much,
we're efficiently how to recover, whether it's time change and
(05:04):
all those things that come with it. So but you know,
again it's not too much different. I think in the
Big Ten they'll probably have to adjust a little bit
more to that than we do because their trips weren't
as long. They might be home on the Thursday and
travel on the Sunday. So I think there's you know,
there's adjustments for us as far as maybe in a
(05:26):
couple hours on the trip, but there's also adjustments for
everyone across the conference, which I think brings out, you know,
it's not a one size fits all for everybody.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Talk about the competition and what it's like coming into
the Big Ten compared to what you've seen the last
few years in the Pac twelve.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Yeah, I think the competition, you know, the Big Ten
has had had a lot of success, especially last season,
with a significant amount of teams making it into the tournament,
and so I think that breeds itself. Whereas the PAC twelve.
You know, in any given year there were teams. There
were times where nine out of the twelve teams from
(06:05):
the PAC twelve we're making the tournament, and so over
the last couple of years that's maybe gone down to
five or six. And then when you think about what
we bring to the Big Ten as far as the
teams and the competition, it's it arguably the top conference
in the country for women's soccer. So to be a
(06:27):
part of that, to compete with that, to recruit those players,
I think it just continues to raise the standard of
where we want to be. And ultimately we know here
here at Washington we want to compete for championships. So
we're going to be facing I think across the schedule
i'd say about ten ten teams in the top fifty,
(06:47):
so a significant challenge. However, I think we're peaking at
the right time and we're building at the right time
to face that competition. So we're excited to get started
and to compete again against him with the top talent.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
September twelfth, six thirty pm, so Thursday night, the first
official Big Ten Conference matchup featuring a Husky team as
the Dogs take on USC, which is also in the
Big Ten. Two x PAC twelve teams will kick off
Big Ten play in Seattle on the Big Ten Network
on September the twelfth, on Thursday at six thirty the
(07:23):
cole great stuff. Good luck to you guys this year,
and congrats on being the first team to get this
thing going for you dub Man.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Thanks coaching.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Yeah, we'll try to get this party started off the
right way. Thank you all for having.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Us you bet. Nicole Van Dyke, the head coach at
Women's Soccer over at you dub The first team that
will play a Big ten game with you Dub is
the women's soccer team, and again that will be on
September the twelfth. We've got a break. Scott Servis has
some updates justin Hollander as well. There's a lot going
on with the Mariners that you're gonna want to hear.
Next on ninety three three KJARFM
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