Redsā?? future faces: Erika Erman

A rookie rarely is privileged enough to receive a starting position when joining a varsity team in university, but this year Erika Erman is an exception to this.

The Moncton native is the starting keeper for the Varsity Reds women’s soccer team this season, bringing her exceptional skill to a rebuilding program.

A first-year science kinesiology student, Erman sits down with the Brunswickan for the second edition of Red’s Future Faces.

Brunswickan: What brought you to UNB?

Erika Erman: English. I attended a French high school and I found that I don’t like taking too many French classes. I thought that the transition would probably be a bit easier. Also, Andy approached me to come play with the team and I liked what the Varsity Reds program had to offer.

B: What assets do you bring to the Varsity Reds on and off the field?

EE: On the field I find that being a goalkeeper is a demanding spot because you can see the whole field. You have to direct your defense and see what is going on over the entire field.

B: What was the adjustment like going from high school to AUS soccer?

EE: Going from high school to AUS wasn’t that difficult for me because I played in higher-level soccer like provincial. If you just look at high school to the AUS though it is very different, especially with the organization and how the training goes. In high school there are always a few players on the team that want to play just for fun.

B: Playing a keeper involves a lot of pressure, aside from the pressure of being a first year athlete. How do you handle it?

EE: It is definitely hard to deal with all the stress and anxiety that comes with it. I find you just need to find a way to deal with it especially during a game. If you allow two or three goals, but you know they were good shots that you did your best to stop, you just need to see the difference between when it was your mistake and it wasn’t.

B: How did you find yourself becoming an AUS keeper?

EE: I started when I was seven playing defense. Then it was about five years ago that I was playing forward and our goalie got hurt. I was like ‘Hey, I’ll go in net’. It just started from there and it stuck. I like it more. It’s a lot more pressure, but way more exciting.

B: Do you find as a rookie do you find it intimidating no longer being the oldest player on the team?

EE: I feel the fact that I am the keeper kind of gives you a bit of an advantage fitting in because they (returning players) really have no choice to but to trust me to a certain extent. Our backline has three fifth year players so we had to find a trust, but it was still an adjustment to make.

B: Being away in your first year have you found it tough to make that adjustment?

EE: The adjustment is going well. I’m only from Moncton so it’s not too far from home. It’s easy to go home for the weekend and my parents come for every home game. They bring friends along which is exciting too.