UCF Forward Drew Hansen Discusses Knights' Senior Knight Win Over Old Dominion

It's through that first half there where it felt like Old Dominion was pressing so much in your guys' back line. You guys held them off the board, got the goal before half, and then have that electric second half to ultimately beat them 5-1. How'd you guys do it? Yeah, you know, it's kind of funny because a 5-1 game seems like it was, I guess it could be easy, but it's not like it's all sunshine and rainbows the whole game, you know. Like, there was a fight, they came out and they had a clear plan, and we had talked about it. We knew that they were likely to press us like that, and we had to adjust. We're a team that usually likes to keep the ball in play, and we had to play more direct today. But I thought that from the staff, I thought that the back line adapted and took the staff's information so well. And to play more direct like we did, it was really effective. We had lots of success. I think I know both of my goals were off more direct play, so it really did work. And I think it was a really good adaptability to show. What was kind of that locker room conversation at halftime to where you guys could come back out and put four more goals on the board? Yeah, you know, I think that it was a lot of, like, sort of more of the same. Like I said, at halftime is when we talked a lot about that adjustment of how we wanted to build from the back because, like you said, they were pressing so aggressively. And I think that we knew they would come out with a fighting spirit for the second half. And so to get that second goal, you know, I don't know how far in the second half it was, but to get that one and then a third, and then I think we scored, I think it was three goals while we were down a man, which just shows the heart of the team. So I'm really proud of the boys tonight. When we talk about the seniors on this team, tonight being senior night, how important are all of the seniors for this team as a collective? Yeah, I mean, so important. I can't put it into words. Everyone brings a different role, you know, and like leadership and experience are words you kind of just sort of expect come with seniors and we just have lots of that quality you know everyone's sort of in a different spot you've got guys like Taco who only been here for one year and then some guys who have been here for longer but everybody brings something that's so important and something we talked about before the game was just like suffering and fighting for the seniors tonight and like we always do a pregame prayer and in the pregame prayer I was talking about like just offering up the suffering to God like on behalf of the seniors and fighting for them and that's something that is cool for the boys that are in that prayer group and then just even the guys who you know like I said just fighting for the seniors because some of them don't get to be on the field but even when you're not on the field like that performance is not just the 13 14 guys who got to play it's the whole team is a collective we saw Joey knock his fifth career goal tonight in front of all of his family how important is a moment like that I mean I love Joey Joey and I are such good friends so I'm so happy for him and it's so well deserved and we all know how good of a player he is and I think to have his family here and on his senior night to be able to do that is he's done so much for this for the school for this program and so I'm really happy for him and I think it came at a really important time I'm pretty sure that was the second goal and yeah just really good moment for him I'm excited that his family was here and super important game and then when we talk about the seniors on this team is there a particular senior that has left like a lasting impact on you even in previous years or a moment or something? I think as I said I think it has to be Joey. Joey and I over the last I guess four years have gotten super close and just all sorts of moments like as a as kind of like a as a leader as an older member of the team he's left that impression on me and but also just like outside we shared a lot of classes together and late nights in the library and studying and things like that and he's just a He's a guy we share a lot in common and he's a guy who leads both through word and example. Do you feel as an offense now you're getting that confidence up and you specifically as well. Do you feel your confidence is up now of the last few matches, the way it's gone offensively? Yeah, you know, I think that we have sort of started to figure things out and it always like the way college soccer goes is a lot of times you have a very different team and we have a very different team this year than last year, so it's going to take time to get in the groove but I really do feel like things have started to fall into place and click and I really think even in the some of the earlier games we talked a lot like we were just very we were close but we weren't quite there and I think that when you are close and you continue doing the right things and refining and training and not giving up then those close those close opportunities start turning into goals and you know even tonight I think we could have had seven or eight You know, you're never going to convert all of your chances. That's very on the stat sheet in terms of, like, xG you probably could have had. Now you've got to carry it on the road. It's a good West Virginia team. What's the approach going on the road? We haven't gotten into West Virginia in terms of film and stuff, but everyone knows every year they're a quality opponent, and it's a very difficult place to go and play. So it's going to be another – I think every game in the Sun Belt is – like, half of it is just the fight and the battle. And tonight, ODU is a team that always brings a certain intensity, and I'm really proud of the way the boys showed up tonight and I think that we have to carry like that's a really good basis for going into the next game because going away at West Virginia like they have lots of fans it's pretty good. Hostile is probably the extreme but it's an intense atmosphere and so we have to bring I think first that battle mentality and then from there like tonight we also need the quality. That's probably a big difference I think we've brought that fight in some of our other games but we've missed the quality a a little bit, and I think that's what sort of helps convert opportunities into Awesome, thanks Drew. Awesome, thank you.