Recently, 'Prince' senior writer Andrew Robinton sat down with men's soccer senior forward Matt Douglas. Below is the transcript of their conversation.
P: Matt, who are some of the guys you played with as a frosh and sophomore who showed you the ropes and taught you what it was to be a soccer player at Princeton?
MD: Some of my favorite players were Graeme Rein ['02] and Matt Behncke ['02]. Graeme Rein, just because he was an amazing competitor and was just a strong, silent presence on the field and everyone looked up to him even though he didn't say that much. Matt Behncke, because he might be the best soccer player I've played with at Princeton—just an amazing soccer player.
P: I know the sophomore-freshman class this year is really impressive, but what might be some names that stick out as leaders when you think of this team not only next year but 2 or 3 years down the road?
MD: Obviously [junior] Jeff Hare is already a captain, he's a huge leader. [Gianfranco Trippichio] is also a leader. As far as freshmen go, I think Ben Young is a solid player, and he'll probably start all his years here.
P: You're from California, one of four guys from there on the team. I notice that everytime I look at the roster. What kind of place do you come from there, and what's the role of soccer in that environment?
MD: I come from San Diego, which is a pretty beachy area. My high school was about five minutes from the beach. Soccer is popular in Southern California – that's where a lot of coaches go to do recruiting. As far as soccer, that's just what I did. A lot of kids surfed, but I was always just into soccer.
P: What do you think of New Jersey?
MD: It's funny coming on your recruiting trip flying into Newark. You see just trees; we don't have a lot of those where I'm from. Obviously in Princeton there's not a lot of stuff around. It's a pretty common thing where I'm from that East Coasters are just a little less laid back, too.
P: Has soccer always been your favorite sport, or your best? Could you have played anything else in college?
MD: I thought I was going to give up soccer to play basketball actually. I just didn't get tall or big enough to play I guess, so that rekindled my passion in soccer around freshman year of high school.
P: What is the thing(s) you're going to remember when, 20 years from now, you're talking to your kids about playing soccer here?
MD: Mainly that it's great to be with these guys and on the team. Winning is obviously more fun, but even when you're not winning just being together is very special. I think it is [senior keeper] Jason White who told me what a coach of his once told him, that playing in college you get to play for your school and teammates, and that is pretty special. In the pros, everyone plays just for themselves. This is really the last time you get to play not just for yourself.
P: Why Princeton? Quite a long way from home — some pretty darn good Cali teams, no — UCLA, Stanford, Santa Barbara?
MD: It was Garrett Bartolotta ['01], he came here and told the coach to come see me. He did, and I had an amazing recruiting trip.
P: Do you have a nickname?
MD: Baby Eagle. It's something when I'm smiling that I apparently look like a baby eagle [laughing].
P: On the team website it says you're a "big athletic forward" and "comfortable on the ball and gifted at running by defenders." Is that accurate?
MD: Would I call myself that? I would like to, and it's kind of a joke with one of the other forwards that we call each other "big athletic forwards." Probably not though. I would say I'm comfortable on the ball. Running by defenders? I guess that's just being able to get by them. I can be at times [laughing].
P: You've had some awesome games this season — FDU and American come to mind, two games in which you scored really important goals. Are you happy with how you as a player are playing?
MD: That's an interesting question, because I averaged one goal per season the last three seasons – but this season I've doubled that with two. A forward should have more. I'm happy with my play, though always wish for better results.
P: What about the team, what do you guys need to start doing to get rolling?
MD: Ever since Loyola we really found out what we need to do. It's visible in our play – we have new confidence. You have to play with confidence and be able to match that with intensity. I think we have that now.
P: I read you missed a game to take the LSATs. Coach probably wasn't too happy about that. What are you doing next year?
MD: I'm not sure about law school. If I like my option, I'll definitely go to school. Wherever. I don't really mind.
P: What kind of coach is Jim Barlow?
MD: Jim Barlow! He is intense. He will get in practice with us and be all over the field. He expects that from each of us, day in and day out – to work our butts off, to work as hard as we can and not slack off.
P: What kind of guy are you off the field? Any similarities with that and how you play on it?
MD: I'm quieter but less so this year, I'm really comfortable with these guys. I've gotten louder as the years have gone by. On the field you must be more aggressive and physical and meaner.
P: What kind of growth have you made from being an 18-year-old kid 4 years ago to a 22-year-old one, both on and off the field? How much of that off-the-field growth would you attribute to soccer?
MD: As you go through college, you grow a lot, mainly in junior and senior year. You definitely grow a lot through the sport you play. It's a different kind of world with different rules. It's just about how mentally with it and intense you are, realizing confidence is a huge part of it and that if you have faith in yourself you can do it. It's realizing that the line between being able to accomplish and not accomplish something is pretty fine and does just depend on yourself. If you think you can do it, you probably can.
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