The staff of The Daily Campus will be spotlighting one individual each week whose performance stands out amongst all others. This week, we have chosen to honor Chukwudi Chijindu, who scored the game-winning goal against No. 17 South Florida on Friday.
Name: Chukwudi Chijindu
Sport: Men's Soccer
Year: Senior
Major: Psychology
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 175 pounds
Hometown: Fontana, Calif.
What happened on the goal you scored in the 69th minute to seal the come-from-behind victory?
It was kind of a slow-developing play. I played the ball out to Ryan [Cordeiro] on the left and he crossed the ball and I kind of got a quick touch in. I hit a quick shot to the lower right corner; it was the only way I could get the shot off, and it ended up going in for us.
How are you and your team dealing with your first loss of the season, 1-0, Sunday to DePaul?
I think we're dealing with it a lot better than other losses just because we know we're pretty good and we're still confident. It hasn't really shaken us up too much; we're not panicking.
With the goal Friday, you've already passed last year's total of 3. How do you think you've performed so far this season?
Well, it feels good. But at the same time, any goal scorer would tell you that they don't really set their goals at single digits. I mean, it feels good, but we have a lot of games left. And, honestly, it doesn't matter who scores, I just want to get the win.
Coming from California, what made you go to school all the way across the country?
The reputation of the program and also, when I came on my visit, I felt right here. I was really comfortable with all the players, and just the playing style is what I'm used to playing. A lot of college soccer teams play kickball or just launch the ball up and tell people to just run. Here we build a game, make good passes and try to play good-looking soccer.
You have a very unique name, what does it mean?
My first name means God is around. It's my Nigerian [name]; both of my parents are Nigerian. I'm definitely proud of it. I wouldn't change it for the world.
The Weekly Honor Roll:
Rebecca Murray, volleyball: Recorded 11 kills and six digs as the women's volleyball team defeated Seton Hall 3-0.
Danny Lansanah, football: His interception in the first quarter set-up the first touchdown in UConn's 34-14 win over Pitt.
Karyn Riviere, women's soccer: scored the first goal in UConn's 6-0 rout on Providence.
Lauren Aird, field hockey: scored the game winning goal against UMass Sunday.
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