Sept. 20, 2001

By Jason Yellin
Maryland Athletic Media Relations

New York Power midfielder and Maryland soccer alum Emily Janss speaks with high praise of the impact Maryland head coach Shannon Higgins-Cirovski made on her career.

"Shannon definitely made a difference in helping me to my lifelong dream of playing professional women's soccer," said Janss, who helped the Power to the WUSA semifinals this past summer.

Janss, who played at Maryland from 1996-99 said going to the ACC power made a major difference and helped her gain national attention.

"I think that it was crucial for me to go to an ACC school, because it is the best conference for soccer," said Janss, who was an All-ACC selection with the Terps. "It was also crucial to be in the Northeast area and Maryland is the most Northern school in the ACC.

"Lots of coaches got to see our team play against some of the best teams in the country. It was really a key for me to go to Maryland because of how we positioned ourselves in the country."

When Higgins-Cirovski was hired prior to the start of the 1999 season, she showed the team new techniques and methods which helped them to the best ACC finish in school history that fall.

"I think that Shannon is very good at strategizing for each particular game. She can tear the other team apart in certain ways, putting certain players on our team in certain positions to stop their game plan," said Janss. "She likes to go through functional training and break everything down and make sure that everybody's on the same page. That helps a lot, making sure that everybody knows what type of runs to make, what kind of looks to get, where the ball needs to go, and how you need to attack."

Janss added: "I know that when Shannon first came in the springtime, we had sessions set aside that were for two or three or four players that were all technical, going through ball work, getting comfortable and confident with the ball. That has always been a key to my game. You can always get better with your foot skills.

"With Shannon and her team chemistry, she feels as if everyone on the team needs to demand from their friend/teammate the utmost respect. No one is looked down upon because they are a freshman, or because of the position they play. That's really good for team chemistry."

Overall, Janss knows of Higgins-Cirovski's stature in the sport of women's soccer, having won four national championships as a player and being named National Player of the Year twice in 1988 and 1989.

"Shannon was probably one of the frontier women for women's soccer even though she isn't a part of the pro league," said Janss. "She still influences it. She is a television commentator and she knows what's going on in the soccer world. We have to look up to her because of her past. You obviously have to be a good player to go to UNC. She did well while she was there. You have to respect her coaching ability and her overall soccer knowledge. She's a winner."