The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Soccer Gearing Up For Season
8/18/2005 | Soccer
Aug. 18, 2005
Preseason Soccer Photo Gallery | OSU Broadcast
OXFORD, Miss. - An exhibition match against Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla., this Saturday is the next step for Ole Miss Soccer's preparation for the fall season.
As the preseason winds down and the regular season comes into view, team captain Hillary Beckman thinks this year's Rebel squad has what it takes to be a championship team.
"This has probably been the best preseason I've been a part of," said the senior midfielder from Anchorage, Ky. "Everybody has been working really hard and we are all excited."
Head coach Steve Holeman, who enters his 11th season as the only head coach in Ole Miss Soccer's history, is also eager to see his talent-laden team suit up against another school, but knows there is much to learn between now and the Aug. 26 season opener against Tennessee Tech.
"We only have about a week of practice under our belts, so we are trying to sort things out just like every other school at this point," Holeman said. "Oklahoma State will be a great first test for us. They are a very talented team and will expose our weaknesses. We should have a better idea of what we need to work on after this weekend."
The Rebels will be facing an Oklahoma State squad that returns 16 letterwinners, including six starters, from a team that finished 12-6-2 a year ago.
Although Ole Miss returns 13 letterwinners and eight of 11 starters from last year's team, the Rebels lost 10 letterwinners, including six valuable seniors, over the offseason.
But Holeman and assistant coaches Derek Greene and Melinda Smith have brought in a large freshman class with loads of talent. Ten new faces will wear the Red and Blue this fall, and Holeman has plenty to praise about them.
"After seeing them in practice, I can now say that this is the best freshman class we've ever had," Holeman said. "I think you could see four or five of them in the starting lineup. They've come in and made this program better already. They're unbelievable."
One of those talented freshmen is Texas native Jennifer Hance. The Rebels' tallest player at 5-foot-10, Hance has impressed the coaching staff and could crack the starting lineup in the central backfield or as a defensive center mid.
"The upperclassmen are really helping out the freshmen," Hance said. "They make sure we are keeping updated, that we run instead of jog. They are helping us see our mistakes and recognize them so we don't make them again.
"This season will be really tough," Hance continued. "The other teams are training hard too, and it's going to be hard. Our freshman group is so deep, though, that when we sub on and off, there's not really a difference in talent. Hopefully we can handle it well and win."
Though the game does not count as a regular season win or loss, the Oklahoma State exhibition will be key to the Rebels' preseason preparation. Ole Miss will take the field in Stillwater at 7 p.m. this Saturday.
