Senior Eva Bachman sits down with the Wire for a Q&A.
As the 2017-18 season kicks off for the Niagara Women’s soccer team, senior Eva Bachman sat down with the Wire as the international-athlete spotlight of the month to participate in a Q&A interview. Bachman is coming off a hot year, finishing second in points amongst her team in the 2016 season with 10. She did however lead the team in assists with six.
Q: Was there any difficulty transitioning from soccer in Europe to America? Was the level of competition different?
A:Soccer in Europe, or at least in Switzerland, is less physical and more technical. This made and still makes it hard sometimes to compete, because I am not used to playing that physically. Also, the different rules of substitutions make the game here in the US faster. In Switzerland you are only allowed to substitute 3 times per game, that’s it. Here, you can sub the entire team twice if you want, bringing fresh people in, and keeping the fast level of competition going.
Q: Coming from Switzerland, did cold and inclement weather serve as a factor to shaping your game? Does the weather from back home compare to Niagara in any way?
A:It’s funny, lots of people have the assumption that it snows and is cold all year in Switzerland – this is not the case. The weather is more or less the same as it is here in Niagara Falls. We have cold and snowy winters, and warm and sunny summers. It is beneficial to my game that I am used to playing in the cold, but I think it does not make a big difference.
Q: Is there a professional athlete that you aspire to?
A:The retired Portuguese soccer player Luis Figo. He was a fantastic soccer player – Figo had amazing vision, was creative and had such great technique to beat many defenders at once. Since I was a little girl he has been my idol, and as a (superstitious) ritual I always watch a short video of the best moments of him before a game.
Q: What was it about NU that drew you to go here? Opportunity? Academics? Athletic program? All of them?
A:I liked the idea of living and studying at a small university where “everyone knows everyone.” Playing soccer for a D1 team was always a dream, too. Niagara University seemed to provide a family-like environment with the opportunity to fulfill my dream and educate myself as well. Also, I really like traveling! Being so close to the Canadian border gave me the chance to not only explore the US, but also Canada.
Q: As a senior, how much has experience helped you grow from where you started freshman year to where you are now?
A:It definitely helped me a lot. It was a hard step to leave my “safe” little circle at home and travel overseas to basically start a new life. I did not know anyone, my English was horrible, and all the cultural differences made it very hard to like it here at first. However, I slowly started to understand not only English, but also the great opportunity I was given – being able to study abroad, meeting people from all over the world, and playing the game I love. It can’t get any better! All the different experiences I made during my years here at NU helped me grow to the person I am right now and kind of taught me who I want to be.
Q:How would describe your role as a veteran amongst a fairly young team? Would you say your teammates look up to you?
A:I think it is a wonderful opportunity for me to help them grow, to encourage them to give their best, to inspire them to try out knew things, and to show them that mistakes are not always a bad thing.
If my teammates look up to me? – I don’t know, but I do know that I am trying every day to lead by example, not only on the field, but also in all other aspects of life.
Q: How much potential would you say the Women’s soccer team has this year?
A:The Women’s soccer team has a lot of potential this year. We had the best start to the season since 2010, which already shows the our great potential. I personally believe that we have a great chance to be one of the top teams this year. Our team has the perfect combination of experienced and calm players with fresh and lively young ones. We are totally focused on playing soccer and winning, but the “fun” aspect of soccer is always present as well, which in my opinion can make the difference to past seasons.
Q: What are your goals after your time at NU?
A:I do not know yet where life will take me after NU. One idea is to play professional somewhere in Europe, another to get into a graduate program in Switzerland, and yet another to do something completely different. The only thing I know I am going to do, is traveling across America with my car after graduation.
The Purple Eagles have started this year with tremendous momentum, wrapping up there non-MAAC matchups with a record of 4-2-1, as it is the hottest start for the Women’s team since 2010. Bachman is leading the team with two goals and two assists. The Purps head into the heat of their season as the rest of their games are all MAAC contests, and will look to keep their home record perfect as they face off against Monmouth University on Sat., Sept. 16.
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