Q+A with men's soccer's Mike Nugent

'Prince' staff writer Nick Benjamin recently sat down with senior Mike Nugent, a forward on the men's soccer team.

Prince: Let's start at the beginning. Why did you start playing soccer?

Nugent: That was what I was good at. I played all different kinds of sports when I was young, but soccer was the one I excelled at.

P: What other sports did you play?

N: I played basketball for a while. I was pretty good. If I'd kept with it I'd probably be on the team at Princeton. I've seen Ahmed El Nokali play and I think I would definitely be a better point guard than him if I'd chosen basketball instead of soccer.

P: That's a pretty bold claim.

N: Yeah, I guess it is. All I know is that the last time I played basketball competitively I won the scoring title in my PBA league and I started on the middle school team over Dontae Jones, who starts at Duke now. You do the math.

P: Did your parents push you to play soccer?

N: They didn't push me, but they definitely encouraged me. My dad was a soccer player, and soccer's always been a big part of my family life. When I was younger my dad was my coach.

P: Are you glad you stuck with soccer?

N: Well, sometimes when I see Ahmed play I get a little bit upset, really for Princeton's sake. But soccer's paid a lot of dividends. The response from the females at Princeton has been inspiring. The women's soccer and field hockey teams have been really good to me.

P: You guys suffered a setback in your quest for the Ivy League title this weekend, a 1-0 loss to Harvard. How does that affect the rest of the season?

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N: We're really at a pivotal point right now. We can go one of two ways. Hopefully guys will get healthy and we'll turn things around in the next five games.

P: How's your quest for the scoring title going?

N: It's on course. If my teammates start getting me the ball a little more often it shouldn't be a problem.

P: What does it feel like when you score? Is it a big rush?

N: My immediate reaction is, "wow, this is great, I just helped my team out." And that's a good feeling. Then I look over to the stands and I see all of the cheering women, women I've made happy, and I just feel really satisfied. Like I'm giving back.

P: What has been your best moment as a Princeton soccer player?

N: No question, that has to be winning the Ivy title my sophomore year. That's the goal year in and year out, and I was glad to be a part of the team. But every day is great. I love getting the chance to go out and share my wisdom with the younger guys.

P: What kind of influence has your coach, Jim Barlow, had on your life?

N: Jim's been a really positive influence for me. He's really taught me a lot about the game. Sometimes he tries to teach me about the importance of diplomacy, and I feel like that's really starting to sink in, to make me a better person. At first I felt like he was speaking a foreign language.

P:What kind of role have your teammates played in your life?

N: A lot of them are my closest friends on campus. If I'm having problems they are always there for me, whether it's related to soccer or my love life. Although [senior forward] Lucas [Moskowitz] and [former teammate] Sloan [Bermann] don't always work magic with the women, they've been my rock for the past few years.

P: Do you see soccer in your future? Are you going to give professional soccer a try?

N: My thinking right now is that I want to play professional soccer, but if that doesn't work out I might come back to Princeton for grad school.

P: What do you think life will be like as a pro?

N: It will be hard trying to prove yourself to the rest of the league. I don't see myself doing that for too long. Hopefully down the road I'll go to grad school and put my Princeton education to use.

P: What other kinds of things do you do at Princeton besides play soccer?

N: When I'm not playing soccer, I dabble in Mario Kart. When I race with Peach it's magic. It's the closest feeling to being out on the soccer field, scoring goals.

P: Are you involved in any clubs, groups, student activities?

N: I'm a member at Cottage Club. Unfortunately, my relationships with the girls there have not borne fruit, and I've often been forced to look elsewhere for companionship. I've always wanted to act, but that hasn't come through for me yet.

P: All right, back to the soccer for a few more questions. Does your team have a weakness?

N: I'd say that we have a few non-strengths. But I don't want to ruffle any feathers, name any names. Except Jeff Hare, because he really sticks out.

P: Did you ever think about going anywhere besides Princeton?

N: My second choice was UVA, mostly because of their strong co-ed program. But I decided I wanted a real education, and I was turned off by all of the binge drinking. I liked what I saw at Princeton, especially the Trustees' Alcohol Initiative.

P: What has been your biggest disappointment at Princeton?

N: Well, after reading Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" in high school, I really hoped to get a chance to learn from her. But she really hasn't been accessible to me. And my body's let me down a few times, forcing me onto the injured list. I wish I could have back the games that I missed.