Extra Time with Sabrina Enciso
10/31/2017 | Soccer
"Lainey [Burdett]… she's crazy," said freshman Sabrina Enciso. She's not talking about Burdett's zany attitude though (she'll call her crazy again later about that). Enciso plays right in front of Burdett on the field, and she's talking about Burdett's ability to keep balls out of the net. But this isn't a story about Burdett, this one's about Enciso. The defender has been a part of one of the toughest defenses that Arizona Soccer has ever seen.
Note this: Arizona has lost only once when they've put at least one goal on the board. Every other time, Enciso and the rest of the backline have held the lead or settled for a tie. That's a quality defense with a goals-against-average of 0.77. Enciso says it's not all about talent though.
"We're all really good friends. We have that connection and we talk about everything on and off the field. Brandi [Park] is really shy but also one of the funniest people that I know. Sam[antha Falasco] is really outgoing and so I'm always speaking to her and Morgan [McGarry] on the field. During practice we're always together so we're always talking to each other and always cracking jokes about something."
The culture has been a big part of Arizona's success this year. There's something about a team that has each other's back that gives them that winning edge. But Enciso couldn't tell what her future team was going to be like when she was recruiting.
"I don't know what I was expecting – I didn't know what the girls' mentalities were like. I've seen them play on the field but I didn't know what they were like off the field. I wouldn't have known Lainey was crazy like that but she and Kelcey [Cavarra] are some of the funniest people I know. When you come in and get to know people, they are some of the greatest people I've met in my whole life."
Some of the greatest people she's met in her life. These girls are more than just teammates out there, they're a tight-knit group of friends. That chemistry shows on the field too, as the Cats are currently sitting in the number four spot in the Pac-12 rankings after being picked in the preseason poll to finish ninth – and they could finish third.
"I've been doing all my research. As a freshman to be able to experience all that and play on the field with everybody in the Pac-12, its huge. To finish third in the Pac-12 is really, really big. I think I understand that more than most people. Considering last year's results that I've heard about, that's really good."
Again, a big part of that success is the defense. And Enciso is the only freshman on the squad this year to start consistently on Amato's backline.
"It's an honor to be honest. Coach Tony [Amato] put a ton of faith in me. Coach Paul [Nagy] played a great role too. When I first got here my mindset was kind of bad, it was hard adjusting from high school and club to here where everyone is bigger than you muscle-wise and height-wise. It means a lot and it's great that my family can see me player every single game."
It's been said that adjusting to Pac-12 soccer is tough. Really tough. Enciso talked a little bit about how she's grown into her role as an outside-back.
"Muscle-wise, when I got here I could only do one dip and one chin-up. Now I can do about ten and a bunch of chin-ups. It's crazy how much our trainer influences us. Mentally, when I first got here I was unsure of how I was going to keep up. Coach Paul [Nagy] told me I needed to be 'beast mode,' that I had the athletic side and that I could handle these girls. I gave it a shot and my mentality just grew."
One of the unique things about Enciso is that she sometimes will make deep runs up the sideline to support an attack. Fortunately for her, she's got the background for it.
"I was a forward for a lot of my years of club. I also flipped onto midfield and defense as well. I was recruited as a defender though. I started defending four years ago but was mainly a forward before that. But being a forward has helped me a lot and given me an aggressive mentality. The first few games I would stay more in the back but since then I've started going up a lot more."
Want to come see Enciso and the rest of the Cats play? Arizona Soccer is back on the pitch on Thursday, Nov. 2nd to host rival ASU at 7 p.m. MST. You can pick up a ticket here.
