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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Do-It-All Dee
10/14/2009 | Soccer
Her coaches say she can "do it all," and so far, she's done a whole lot.
After leading Ole Miss Soccer to wins over No. 7 Florida and No. 16 Georgia in the past couple of weeks, Danielle Johnson and the nationally ranked Rebels will have an opportunity to prove just what more they can accomplish when the senior team captain leads her team back to her hometown of Baton Rouge, La., this Friday.
No. 21 Ole Miss will square off against the 15th-ranked LSU Tigers in a battle of the SEC West's top two teams at 7 p.m. CT at the LSU Soccer Complex.
"Every game she has an impact, whether it's defensively or whether it's on the attack. She's a difference maker. She's been a huge part of our success in every game of her career," head coach Steve Holeman says of the three-time All-SEC performer.
"Pretty much every game Dee's our hero," fellow senior captain Hannah Weatherly agrees.
While the subject of such high praise from her coaches and teammates, Johnson remains humble.
"She doesn't know how talented she is and will never admit to that," Holeman says.
Fully displaying her talent, Johnson has helped guide the Rebels to the program's highest national ranking, a 9-3-1 record and two program-defining wins this year. She struck a perfect free kick to set up sophomore Abbie Curran's golden goal in a 3-2 double-overtime thriller against Florida, the highest ranked opponent Ole Miss has defeated in its history. And this past week, she followed up that clutch performance by scoring the game-winner in a 1-0 victory at Georgia.
Johnson looks to extend the Rebels' current four-game unbeaten streak against her hometown Tigers.
"I'm so excited. I can't wait to go home and play in my senior season in front of all my friends and family," Johnson says.
She has been a model of consistency with the Rebels, starting every game of her illustrious career and leading the team in minutes played each of the last three years.
"She's developed into a leader," Holeman says of Johnson's growth since her first season. "She came in as a freshman and did whatever she was told. She stepped in right away as a starter and fulfilled her role. As the years have gone by, she's not only led by example, she's become a vocal leader and a team leader."
Moments of brilliance are nothing new to Johnson. She netted a first-half hat trick her freshman year in a 4-1 victory over Arkansas-Little Rock and also an eventual game-winner at Alabama in a 2-1 victory for her only goal last year, despite seeing almost all of her time as a lock-down defender.
She has spent her last two summers competing with the Ottawa Fury of the USL's W-League. Starting all 14 games and playing all but 23 minutes of the 2009 season, she helped lead the Fury to an 11-2-2 record and a semifinal berth. It was an experience Johnson values greatly.
"On the field, you're playing with high-level players. It's so quick and so much fun, and I learned so much," she recalls. "And off the field, I got to meet people from all over the world."
While playing defender the last three years, Johnson was one of the nation's best. She earned Freshman All-America honors and has been an All-SEC pick all three years, including a first-team selection as a sophomore and junior. She has also earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors on two different occasions.
With the additions of impressive freshmen Brittany King and Alix Hildal to Ole Miss' backline this season, Holeman has been able to insert Johnson into more of an attacking role in the midfield where she can produce more scoring opportunities for herself and teammates, taking advantage of an exceptional touch and a blistering shot. Her ability to create has showed itself, having already set career marks in goals (5) and points (13), and scoring the only Rebel goals this past weekend to earn her SEC Offensive Player of the Week. In doing so, she became the first soccer player in SEC history to be chosen both defensive and offensive player of the week during her career.
According to Johnson, what was originally a difficult transition is becoming more natural. "It was hard in the beginning making the adjustment from defense to midfield, but I feel like I'm getting more comfortable there and just trying to help the team wherever I can."
Johnson, with fellow senior captains Weatherly and Mallory Coleman, has come up just short of reaching the NCAA Tournament in her three years in Oxford. With three wins over nationally ranked Memphis, Florida and Georgia, the seniors' goal of making their first NCAA Tournament appearance, the program's first since 2005, is quickly becoming a realistic possibility.
"This is awesome," Johnson says. "It's so exciting for Hannah, Mal and me. This is what we came here to do our senior season. I've been trying to enjoy every moment before it's over."
At this rate, she and her teammates will have a lot more moments to enjoy.