"I think we’re just getting started."
Those were the words of Wave FC midfielder Taylor Kornieck after their heartbreaking playoff loss against Portland Thorns on the road over the weekend.
The San Diego Wave went into Providence Park to gain a punched ticket to the NWSL final in just their first season as an expansion team in the NWSL.
Kornieck said after the match that credit should go to coach Casey Stoney for building a successful soccer culture within the club in such a quick manner where she has placed this team in championship contention.
“It’s my third year in the league and I think this year in particular, just being coached by Casey, I think she has done incredible things for me,” Kornieck said. “I really didn’t think I had it in me if you would ask me a year ago. I went through a hard time but coming here and playing for this team, playing for this coach, playing for all these girls and how much support they have for me and and through the whole team it’s just it’s kind of hard not to have a bad year here. So I I just can’t thank my team enough. I can’t thank Casey enough for everything she’s done for me. And how much work she’s put in on and off the field with me and and I just think I’ve been working a lot on my mental health and I think that’s a big part of how I got to be here right now.
“With all of my heart, I wish we could have went to that final but like I said before, said Taylor Kornieck. I think it shows a lot about us. It shows a lot about Casey, shows a lot about the staff and how everybody just came together and made this such a successful winning team and I just couldn’t be more proud of everybody on this team. And I can’t wait for February, when we get back out there because we have something so special here and I’m so fortunate to be a part of it.”
Stoney said after the match that this year has been tough for her on many levels, but that she has remained strong due to the support she has received since moving to San Diego.
“My players are a privilege to work with every single day, what they stand for, what they fight for, who they are as people, who they are as characters, the way they work so hard every day,” Stoney said in the postgame press conference. “What they’ve been able to do to grow and improve, it’s not many teams that can do what we do to go in front [today] and obviously unfortunately losing in the dying minutes is absolutely devastating and gutting so yeah…My family here, which is a bonus, but at the same time, it’s been a real challenge [to be separated from my family] this year for me personally. But having said that, I think what makes it easier is I worked with incredible women every single day.”
Deposits for next season tickets are now available on the team's website.
