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April 3, 2006
OFF THE FIELD WITH BOBBY MORALES
Coming off a highly successful freshman
campaign that resulted in 19 goals and 12 assists, including two goals
and two assists in the Wolverines first quarterfinal win in program
history, Bobby Morales was well aware of the bar that had been set by
not only himself, but the rest of his thriving class. After such a
quick start to his Wolverine career, many expected just as much, if not
more in '06.
As one of the top recruits in Michigan's
history, Morales is no stranger to expectations however. A captain his
senior year at Brother Rice, Morales led his team to a state
championship and was an All-State and All-Division player. The 5' 11"
middie was also the first high-school All-American to have been landed
by the Maize and Blue.
Entering his second year, Morales knows that
his role must evolve from an upstart freshman looking to make a name for
himself in his new environment, into an emerging leader on a young squad
looking to take the final step...
On growing up a Wolverine fan:
"Since the time I was three and my dad gave
me one of those kid Michigan football uniforms with the helmets, I've
always been a fan. It was always a dream of mine to come here."
On choosing Michigan against a number
of Varsity programs:
"I got a chance to go to a recruiting camp,
and a lot of schools were talking to me there. The ones I took
seriously, were Delaware, Colgate, Cornell and a few others. But in the
end, it just wasn't worth it. I always wanted to play a Division I
sport, but when I started talking to JP [Head Coach John Paul] and I
understood everything that Michigan offered I knew this is where I
always wanted to go. I realized how competitive it was, and I knew I
could play and contribute for all four years. And then there is the
winged helmet, you can't beat that."
On his special senior season:
"At Brother Rice you were expected to either
win it, or be in the running for a State Championship every year. My
senior year it was something different though. I was one of the
leaders, but a lot of people didn't expect much of the team. They were
saying it was one of worst teams we'd had in years. The three of us
that were captains, we really had to work hard throughout the season.
It was a different type of season for the entire team, but winning the
Championship was that much more special for us, because it really felt
like it was ours."
On feeling the pressure coming in:
"I was aware of the pressure coming in, but
to be honest I had no idea I was the first All-American until I got here
and read the profiles in the media guide. I took it as opportunity to
get in the first line pretty quickly, and to get a lot of playing time
and I think it helped to open a door for me."
On getting off to a quick start last
year:
"That was huge for me. I think I gelled
really quickly with my line of Jimmy [Constantine] and Anthony [Ragnone]
and I think that the unity we got and the success we got right off
the bat was huge. They allowed me to be an equal part of the line, even
though I was just a freshman."
On his performance vs. Oregon in the
USL-MDIA quarterfinals:
"It was a tough game. I was coming off a
knee injury in the CCLA's. I knew it was a big game for the team
though. Us young guys like Evan and Peter and me, we told each other
though that the quarterfinal losses weren't a tradition for us. We'd
never been there, we'd never lost in the quarterfinals, and we weren't
about to. The start we got was amazing, with Silv [David Silverman]
picking up that groundball and getting to me and I just went untouched
to the goal. We wanted to start a new tradition right there."
On the sting of the semi-final loss:
"I remember looking at some of those seniors
like Silv, Kozel [Kirk Kozel] and Roth [Mike Roth] losing a game like
that, when we scored three goals. It was a huge lesson for us. I think
we realized at that point that there was a huge difference between the
quarterfinals and the semi's. This is why we need to beat teams
convincingly every night throughout the season, and to do it in the
right way. When we get there, we need to be ready."
On being a leader despite his age:
"Being a captain in high school helped a
lot. Coming in here and starting right away also helped. I'm trying to
become more of a leader, and take some of the load off those seniors.
That's a lot of work for three guys. It was a focal point this year for
me. Coaches hinted towards it. So I knew I had to take that next step,
and I'm more than willing to do it. At this point, I'll do anything it
takes to win."
On where the team is at this point in
the season:
"I think we learned a lot during the
Invitational about the right way to play and approach games. I think we
had a few weeks there where we weren't taking practice seriously
enough. I think lately though we've been trying to turn that around. I
think personally that we need to go out with the goal every night where
we play perfectly. We can't drop balls, we can't give up turnovers, and
we can't give up transition goals. We need to beat teams convincingly,
and score 20 goals and allow two or three and show the rest of the
nation what we're going to do when we get up against them."
On his
post-collegiate plans:
"I'm just starting to
figure that out to be honest. Right now I'm thinking about coming back
for my Masters, perhaps get into the business world or something, maybe
get some real-world experience in there. Something in the automotive
world. That's where my father is now so I've got to learn quite a bit
about it and have been able to seen a lot of what happens inside."
Contact: Joe Hennessy (734) 276-8493,
jjhennes@umich.edu
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