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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Soccer Practice Report: Oct. 31
10/31/2020 | Soccer
<i class="icon-video"></i> Mott Interview<i class="icon-video"></i> Smith Interview<i class="icon-video"></i> Pistorio Interview
Ole Miss Set to Close Out Home Schedule
OXFORD, Miss. – With one match at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium left on the docket, the Rebels look to close out their home schedule in style when taking on No. 14 Georgia Saturday night.
Earlier this week, head coach Matt Mott, junior Madison Smith and redshirt-freshman Lizah Pistorio sat down with our own Seth Austin to chat about the team's week of practice and the outlook of the match.
SHIFTING FOCUS
The Rebels had bittersweet emotions about their 2-1 loss to Arkansas a week ago. While the team was disappointed to fall behind early and ultimately suffer defeat to the Razorbacks, Mott and his squad were encouraged by the performance and the ability to battle back and give the nation's No. 7 ranked team a run for its money.
"[We were] disappointed, I think because we were in it," said head coach Matt Mott. "So, we go down 2-0 at halftime and come back out for the second half. Really, I thought they had us pinned in, but we broke out a couple times and had a couple good looks. Channing had a good one on her left foot that just sailed over. I felt like we were going to get one and make it real interesting, and we did with about 10 minutes to go but couldn't get the equalizer. I like the way the team competed and fought. I thought they worked really, really hard against a really good team, but sooner or later we've got to start getting some of those results to go our way and finish off games."
LEADING THE WAY
So far in 2020, the defense has looked sound thanks to a combination of veteran leadership and fresh talent. One of those leaders is junior Madison Smith. The defender from Franklin, Tennessee, brought back valuable experience for the Rebels position group as one of the top returners from last season.
"She's really become a leader in our backline," said Mott. "She's dominant in the air, is a really good tackler and will throw her body in front of anything to block shots. She's a really good defender for us and someone that we really rely on…Madison's great, and we're glad we have her for two more seasons after this one."
Now an upperclassman, Smith has stepped up to help show the younger players the ropes and is enjoying watching them succeed.
"It's honestly really cool to see because every practice and every game you just see them getting better, so that's really exciting," said Smith. "Being a veteran on the backline, I know everything inside and out, so they listen. They help me, I help them and we get our job done."
WAITING FOR HER SHOT
While Ashley Orkus leads the Rebels in goal, Lizah Pistorio is building up her game in hopes of being the next in a long line of accomplished Ole Miss keepers. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native is in a great position to do just that, learning under the wing of Orkus and associate head coach Rob Thompson.
"She's a big-time goalkeeper," said Mott. "We are really lucky because we have two SEC starters. There's no doubt in my mind that she'd be in the top five in the SEC right now. She's that dominant of a goalkeeper. In practice she makes it very difficult for the guys. They know if they beat Lizah, they've scored a good goal. So, we're really happy with her and Rob has done a great job developing her into a high-level goalkeeper. She's a great teammate and is doing a great, great job for us."
Pistorio faces off against the Ole Miss forwards in practice every day. She's seen the work that the offense is putting in day in and day out and loves to see it translate in-game.
"To finally see them score is amazing," said Pistorio. "We've been working pretty much every single practice on scoring. I have a lot of fun with it. I love getting the opportunity to block their shots. I think knocking the cover off the goal is really what we need. If we can keep scoring in these next two games, I think we have a great chance of winning them and putting ourselves in a good position for the SEC Tournament.
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
In their final home match of the 2020 fall season, the Rebels are set to honor senior Chanel Thomas. A four-year letterwinner from Scottsdale, Arizona, Thomas has helped define and shape the program as it is today.
"She's the epitome of a student-athlete," said Mott. "Great student, and she's been great on the field for us for four years. You can rely on her; you can count on her; she brings it every single day. I've never raised my voice to her in four years because she's just been that steady, and we know exactly what we're getting from her. She's been wonderful, and we're sad to see her go. I know she's going to do great things in this world. She is the epitome of what an Ole Miss Rebel should be."
BATTLE WITH THE BULLDOGS
Saturday's match with Georgia looms large for Ole Miss. It's an important game for the standings, but it also is its final chance to defend its home field this season.
"I think Georgia is a good team, and they deserve to be respected," said Smith. "But we need to go in there with the mindset that this is our senior night, this is a time to defend our home field, so let's get out there and do it."
The two teams squared off last season, with the Rebels losing late, 2-1. Fans can expect a close battle, as Ole Miss aims to pick up a win to close out its fall homestand.
"[Georgia is a] very good team. Really difficult to score against, and they can score goals. They have maybe the most electric froward in the league, (Chloe) Chapman. She's extremely fast, and she's a basketball player as well. But she's as fast as we have in the league and dangerous and getting better and better from a soccer standpoint. Their whole team is good. They have great guys in the back, and their goalkeeper is solid. They're going to be difficult for us to break down, but we're certainly looking forward to the challenge… I have nothing but respect for Billy (Lesesne), I think he's one of the top coaches in the league and he'll have his team ready."
The key to victory for the Rebels: scoring.
"Like I said, scoring is going to be the biggest thing," said Pistorio. "I think our defense has been doing really well, and Ashley is doing amazing saving really big shots. If we can keep scoring, there's no question we're going to win."
TOURNAMENT ON THE HORIZON
With just two games left in the fall regular season, there is an increased emphasis placed on winning. These final games down the stretch are pivotal for seeding in the 2020 SEC Tournament. Ole Miss has six divisional points and is hoping that a big win could help put it in a great position for a run at the beach.
"[These final games are] massive," said Mott. "We need points. Everybody's searching for points. It's really a log jam in there from 4-to-14. That fourth spot is a really important spot if you want to give yourself a chance. Really anything in the top-10 is important because anything below that and you have to play that extra game…. But right now, it's all about points and a really tough competitor here on Saturday night."
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Soccer on Twitter at @OleMissSoccer, on Facebook at Facebook.com/OleMissSoccer, and on Instagram at Instagram.com/officialolemisssoccer. Also, follow head coach Matt Mott on Twitter at @CoachMattMott.
Earlier this week, head coach Matt Mott, junior Madison Smith and redshirt-freshman Lizah Pistorio sat down with our own Seth Austin to chat about the team's week of practice and the outlook of the match.
SHIFTING FOCUS
The Rebels had bittersweet emotions about their 2-1 loss to Arkansas a week ago. While the team was disappointed to fall behind early and ultimately suffer defeat to the Razorbacks, Mott and his squad were encouraged by the performance and the ability to battle back and give the nation's No. 7 ranked team a run for its money.
"[We were] disappointed, I think because we were in it," said head coach Matt Mott. "So, we go down 2-0 at halftime and come back out for the second half. Really, I thought they had us pinned in, but we broke out a couple times and had a couple good looks. Channing had a good one on her left foot that just sailed over. I felt like we were going to get one and make it real interesting, and we did with about 10 minutes to go but couldn't get the equalizer. I like the way the team competed and fought. I thought they worked really, really hard against a really good team, but sooner or later we've got to start getting some of those results to go our way and finish off games."
LEADING THE WAY
So far in 2020, the defense has looked sound thanks to a combination of veteran leadership and fresh talent. One of those leaders is junior Madison Smith. The defender from Franklin, Tennessee, brought back valuable experience for the Rebels position group as one of the top returners from last season.
"She's really become a leader in our backline," said Mott. "She's dominant in the air, is a really good tackler and will throw her body in front of anything to block shots. She's a really good defender for us and someone that we really rely on…Madison's great, and we're glad we have her for two more seasons after this one."
Now an upperclassman, Smith has stepped up to help show the younger players the ropes and is enjoying watching them succeed.
"It's honestly really cool to see because every practice and every game you just see them getting better, so that's really exciting," said Smith. "Being a veteran on the backline, I know everything inside and out, so they listen. They help me, I help them and we get our job done."
WAITING FOR HER SHOT
While Ashley Orkus leads the Rebels in goal, Lizah Pistorio is building up her game in hopes of being the next in a long line of accomplished Ole Miss keepers. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native is in a great position to do just that, learning under the wing of Orkus and associate head coach Rob Thompson.
"She's a big-time goalkeeper," said Mott. "We are really lucky because we have two SEC starters. There's no doubt in my mind that she'd be in the top five in the SEC right now. She's that dominant of a goalkeeper. In practice she makes it very difficult for the guys. They know if they beat Lizah, they've scored a good goal. So, we're really happy with her and Rob has done a great job developing her into a high-level goalkeeper. She's a great teammate and is doing a great, great job for us."
Pistorio faces off against the Ole Miss forwards in practice every day. She's seen the work that the offense is putting in day in and day out and loves to see it translate in-game.
"To finally see them score is amazing," said Pistorio. "We've been working pretty much every single practice on scoring. I have a lot of fun with it. I love getting the opportunity to block their shots. I think knocking the cover off the goal is really what we need. If we can keep scoring in these next two games, I think we have a great chance of winning them and putting ourselves in a good position for the SEC Tournament.
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
In their final home match of the 2020 fall season, the Rebels are set to honor senior Chanel Thomas. A four-year letterwinner from Scottsdale, Arizona, Thomas has helped define and shape the program as it is today.
"She's the epitome of a student-athlete," said Mott. "Great student, and she's been great on the field for us for four years. You can rely on her; you can count on her; she brings it every single day. I've never raised my voice to her in four years because she's just been that steady, and we know exactly what we're getting from her. She's been wonderful, and we're sad to see her go. I know she's going to do great things in this world. She is the epitome of what an Ole Miss Rebel should be."
BATTLE WITH THE BULLDOGS
Saturday's match with Georgia looms large for Ole Miss. It's an important game for the standings, but it also is its final chance to defend its home field this season.
"I think Georgia is a good team, and they deserve to be respected," said Smith. "But we need to go in there with the mindset that this is our senior night, this is a time to defend our home field, so let's get out there and do it."
The two teams squared off last season, with the Rebels losing late, 2-1. Fans can expect a close battle, as Ole Miss aims to pick up a win to close out its fall homestand.
"[Georgia is a] very good team. Really difficult to score against, and they can score goals. They have maybe the most electric froward in the league, (Chloe) Chapman. She's extremely fast, and she's a basketball player as well. But she's as fast as we have in the league and dangerous and getting better and better from a soccer standpoint. Their whole team is good. They have great guys in the back, and their goalkeeper is solid. They're going to be difficult for us to break down, but we're certainly looking forward to the challenge… I have nothing but respect for Billy (Lesesne), I think he's one of the top coaches in the league and he'll have his team ready."
The key to victory for the Rebels: scoring.
"Like I said, scoring is going to be the biggest thing," said Pistorio. "I think our defense has been doing really well, and Ashley is doing amazing saving really big shots. If we can keep scoring, there's no question we're going to win."
TOURNAMENT ON THE HORIZON
With just two games left in the fall regular season, there is an increased emphasis placed on winning. These final games down the stretch are pivotal for seeding in the 2020 SEC Tournament. Ole Miss has six divisional points and is hoping that a big win could help put it in a great position for a run at the beach.
"[These final games are] massive," said Mott. "We need points. Everybody's searching for points. It's really a log jam in there from 4-to-14. That fourth spot is a really important spot if you want to give yourself a chance. Really anything in the top-10 is important because anything below that and you have to play that extra game…. But right now, it's all about points and a really tough competitor here on Saturday night."
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Soccer on Twitter at @OleMissSoccer, on Facebook at Facebook.com/OleMissSoccer, and on Instagram at Instagram.com/officialolemisssoccer. Also, follow head coach Matt Mott on Twitter at @CoachMattMott.
Players Mentioned
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