Rebel Soccer Outlook: 2009

How drastically do the expectations of a college soccer team change when it brings in 18 new players, which make up more than 60 percent of the total squad?

According to Ole Miss head coach Steve Holeman, they don't change at all.

"Our goals and objectives are the same as they are every year - to compete for an SEC West title, an SEC title and an NCAA bid," said Holeman, who is the program's only head coach since its inception in 1995. "Those are at the forefront of what we do. Based on last year's results and the fact that we have a lot of newcomers, I don't think the expectations will be as high from the outside - the media and some of the fans. But within our program, they are still the same. We expect to be able to accomplish our goals."

Here are some more numbers for perspective:

This year's team consists of four upperclassmen (juniors and seniors) and 25 underclassmen (freshmen and sophomores).
The Rebels lost seven seniors and a total of 12 players from last year's team.
The 18 newcomers is a program record, eclipsing the 16 players that made up the inaugural 1995 squad.
The team returns 54 percent of its goal scoring (14 of 26), 53 percent of its shot attempts (149 of 283) and 33 percent of its goalkeeper saves (26 of 79) from last season.

There is plenty of good news, however.

Among the four upperclassmen is a trio of senior team captains with loads of starting experience in defender Mallory Coleman, defender Danielle Johnson and forward Hannah Weatherly. Johnson is a three-time All-SEC selection with the chance to be the first player in program history to receive that recognition in all four seasons.

Also expected to be a fixture in the lineup is junior midfielder Taylor Cunningham, whose six goals in 2008 make her the team's top returning scorer.

Starting defender Meredith Snow leads a solid group of sophomores who gained valuable experience last season, while the incoming class of 17 boasts a wealth of talent with one very noticeable common theme - speed.

"I know we only have 11 returning players, but it's a core group," Holeman said. "They had a very successful spring. The dynamics of our team are going to totally change, but I think it will be good and will create a competitive environment. The new freshmen will bring a lot of energy, and the returning players will bring a lot of intensity.

"There are two main differences between this year's team and last year's team. One, we are a lot younger. Two, we are more athletic and a lot faster. In fact, this team could be the fastest and most athletic group that we've ever had."

With such exciting potential, Rebel fans and soccer enthusiasts from throughout the region would be wise to visit the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium this fall and find out just how good this team could be.

The Ole Miss schedule features six SEC home matches, including perennial powers Auburn, South Carolina and Florida and in-state rival Mississippi State. The Rebels also face four non-league foes in Oxford during the early portion of the schedule in August and September.

GOALKEEPERS

The Rebels will be young in the net this season after losing veterans Megan Vickery and Jackie DeNova from the 2008 squad.

Sophomore Alley Ronaldi has the inside track to the starting job. She posted a 1.31 goals-against average as a freshman, allowing nine goals with 26 saves and starting six of the team's final seven matches.

She will have stiff competition from freshman Jade Davis, a 5-foot-9 athlete who was very successful in her senior year at the IMG Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

"The goalkeeper position is an important one, and I think we'll be competitive," Holeman said. "Alley got some invaluable experience last year playing in SEC games, which are the most important. With goalkeepers, having game experience is critical. She had a great spring and has worked really hard throughout the summer. We think she's going to do really well.

"Jade is very athletic, a great shot-stopper and a hard worker. I think she'll come in and compete right away."

Providing added depth in goal will be sophomore Cincinnati transfer April Gibson and freshman Catie Clark from Palm City, Fla.

DEFENDERS

The back line will certainly be the area where the Rebels boast the most experience. Three-time All-SEC center back Danielle Johnson anchors the defense. She has started all 60 matches in her career and has been subbed out of the game for only 10 minutes over the past two seasons.

"Dee has done it all," Holeman said. "She runs the show. She has experience at the highest level and is one of the top players in the country. We expect great things from her on and off the field. She's a great leader and has tremendous respect from everyone that knows her."

Fellow senior Mallory Coleman, a Clinton, Miss., product, has started 37 matches at right back over the last two years and is another of the Rebels' three team captains. Sophomore center back Meredith Snow, who uses her speed and elite ball skills to shut down opponents and kick-start Rebel attacks, started all 20 matches in 2008 and sat out for just six minutes all season.

"Mallory has trained really hard and become a leader for us," Holeman said. "When we recruited her, we hoped she'd be able to take her game to the next level from year to year, and she's done that. She has tremendous speed, and she's really excited about her senior year.

"Meredith was our only freshman to step in and be a full-time starter last year, and she played like a veteran. She's had great preparation over the summer playing with her club team in the national championships, and she's going to make her mark in the SEC this fall."

Incoming freshmen Brittany King (Edmond, Okla.), Alix Hildal (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Mary Bailey Wickham (Columbus, Ga.) are expected to compete for a starting position and playing time.

"Brittany will probably step in and be one of the fastest players on our team, and we have a very fast and athletic team," Holeman said. "She's super-athletic as a center back and does extremely well under pressure. Alix has great speed, can run with the ball and is a great defender. The biggest thing is she's a competitor. She hates to lose. Mary Bailey also has great speed. We lost some left-footed players from last fall, and she has a great left foot. She's been improving every year since we've known her."

Freshman Lacy Key tore her ACL during the spring and will be unable to compete this fall. Freshmen Katie Breathitt and Kim Hobgood are expected to provide depth in a very deep and strong backfield.

MIDFIELDERS

Traditionally one of the strongest areas for Holeman's teams, the midfield will be younger than usual in 2009, but with plenty of potential to match the level of excellence from the stars of past seasons. Despite losing All-SEC midfielders Jennifer Hance, Christine Breaux and Amy Bayles from last year's squad, the Rebels still have junior Taylor Cunningham, who was the second-leading scorer with six goals and two assists in 2008.

"We'll be very young in the midfield, but we expect Taylor to be a veteran leader for us," Holeman said. "She's taken her game to another level. She became a starter for us last year and ended the season as one of our best players. In the SEC Tournament, she was one of the best players on the field. She has one of the best shots in the country. She is extremely fast and athletic and should be a force in her junior year."

Cunningham looks to guide a group of hungry younger players who are ready to establish their presence in the midfield. Two sophomores with Division I experience are Jenna Strother and SMU transfer Dylan Jordan. Strother started a pair of games for the Rebels last year, while Jordan was a reliable starter for the Mustangs.

"Jenna is an extremely technical player," Holeman said. "She got playing time last fall and will compete for a starting spot in the midfield. She also had a great spring.

"Dylan is a competitor and a workhorse. She can play in the midfield or up top. She's great in the air, and she's a goal scorer who also has a big defensive presence."

Freshmen Charlotte Clayton (Franklin, Tenn.), Arielle Cohen (Wellington, Fla.) and Alyssa Smith (Pensacola Beach, Fla.) should also compete for playing time. SMU transfer Courtney Messina and freshman Katie Lowder will provide additional depth.

Holeman noted that many of the Rebels are versatile enough to play multiple positions, giving the coaching staff plenty of options when it comes to making out the starting lineups and substituting during the games.

FORWARDS

The 2009 roster features perhaps the most athletic and deepest collection of forwards the team has seen in recent years. With as many as seven or eight players jockeying for playing time up top, Ole Miss has the potential to unleash a high-pressure attack that could put opposing defenses on their heels.

Senior Hannah Weatherly is a veteran team captain with 51 career starts under her belt. The Tupelo, Miss., native possesses a speed and skill level that could provide a lot of excitement for Rebel fans this season.

"Hannah is coming off one of the greatest springs I've ever seen a player have," Holeman said. "If she can have a fall similar to her spring, she's going to be an All-SEC type performer. We're expecting big things from Hannah, and she expects big things from herself."

Other returning players who will battle for a starting position are sophomores Kelsey Breathitt and Abbie Curran, who both earned valuable playing time as freshmen.

"Like most of our sophomores, Kelsey and Abbie have both made great strides over the last year," Holeman said. "Kelsey had a great spring season and can run all day. Abbie has great speed and a tremendous work rate and also had a fantastic spring."

Sophomore Lily Crabtree tore her ACL three games into the season a year ago, but looks to be back at full strength entering the fall. Sophomore Kendyl Mygatt is a transfer from Texas Tech who started all 10 matches she played for the Red Raiders before suffering a knee injury. Freshmen Emily Perkins (Nashville, Tenn.) and Ally Heine (Paducah, Ky.) have the potential to contribute right away, as well as Brittany Vanderburg (Hoover, Ala.).

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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