Most freshmen on campus are just getting ready to take their first college exams. But while they are memorizing various theorems, formulas, and terms, UW men's soccer freshmen goalkeeper Jake Settle had his first test last week and certainly passed it.
The young shot-stopper shut out University of Illinois-Chicago in his first collegiate start and followed with three saves in a loss to Ohio State. Despite the loss, Settle was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. The Daily Cardinal caught up with Settle recently to talk about his success at UW and his experiences playing soccer.
Before the UIC game, you hadn't really played much, how nervous were you before that first start?
I was pretty nervous. I actually didn't feel too bad until we had a team meeting before the game, then I was freaking out, getting pretty nervous. Once the game started though, I was all right.
How helpful has [junior goalkeeper] Eric Hanson been in getting you acclimated to college soccer?
Oh, big time. Just watching him play [helps]. He's pretty experienced and he has done a lot as far as college goes. His experience really helps me because just watching him makes it easier. It's like a guide to go by.
Hanson is only a junior. Are you going to be content to just sit and wait your turn or is this just the beginning of a long battle for the position?
I am never content to sit and wait. I want to play every game and every week. No matter who I'm with I've always felt [the same way]. I've tried to start over 35-year-olds and I've tried to start over 22-year-old college All-Americans and I am never content to be sitting behind anybody.
After such an exceptional start, what can we expect to see from you in the future?
Well, hopefully good things. Con-sitency is one thing that I, and every goalkeeper, need to work on so I can consistently stay at the same level and not lots of peaks and valleys. It's just important to stay consistent and hopefully [I'll] win a lot of games.
You've won a lot of honors: high school All-American, Iowa State Player of the Year and State All-Tournament team just to name a few. How does being named a Big Ten Player of the Week compare to those?
It's way, way, way up there at the top. [The games] were my first starts and I got my first win. The other honors were all pretty nice, but those were high school and breaking onto the college scene and seeing my name on all the Web sites was pretty fun.
How did you find out you had won the award?
Well, I walked into the locker room, and Shaggy [Hanson] said \Congratulations ... you got Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week,"" but I thought he was joking. So I came out to practice and four other guys said the same thing, and I went and looked on the Internet and I was like, ""Hey, that's me!""
Did your impressive performance help you gain some more respect from the older guys on the team?
Yeah, when I came here, I played pretty bad. Actually, for the first month I played really bad and I think a lot of the guys were like, ""Who is this kid, Iowa must be [terrible] if this is the best they've got."" But playing in those two games gave me a whole lot of confidence, just knowing that I can do it, that I can play at that level and read that pace. So yeah, it really did help to do well in those two games.
Who is your biggest influence on how you play the game?
My coach back home, his name is Homer Screws. He wasn't actually a goalkeeper; he was a defender but he was just insane. I just try and play like him and work like him. He was a really hard worker and gained a lot from his work rate and I just try and model myself after that.
You're kind of small for a keeper. What do you have to do to make up for your lack of size?
Well, I am small and I'm from Iowa, so those are pretty much the two worst things for a keeper. But as far as being small, you just have to come out more ... and be twice as athletic as everyone else. Big guys ... make 6'5' saves where they just fall over and the ball is right there, whereas I have to shuffle and take two, three steps to get [to the same place]. So I am a more explosive type of goalkeeper than those guys. I make the same type of saves as [big] guys, its just that I to be quicker instead of falling like a tree.
