Soccer Practice Report: Nov. 7

OXFORD, Miss. – With just one more match left on the regular season schedule, Ole Miss is hoping to finish the campaign on a high note when taking on No. 13 Vanderbilt in Nashville Saturday night.

Earlier this week, head coach Matt Mott and seniors Madisyn Pezzino and Molly Martin sat down with our own Seth Austin to chat about the team's week of practice and the outlook of the match.

HEATING UP
The Rebels and are coming off of a thrilling 4-3 victory over No. 14 Georgia. There was no quit in the team as Ole Miss battled back from an early 2-0 deficit to pull out the win. Haleigh Stackpole got things started and Madisyn Pezzino added two game-tying goals of her own before Channing Foster buried a free kick in the final seconds of the match.

"It was really such a great team win, four great team goals," said Molly Martin. "I don't think I've seen a team here in my four years this pumped to keep rolling and keep the ball going to grit out another ranked win."

The offense got off to a slow start this season, but as of late it's been lethal with seven goals scored in the last three matches. With the season winding down, the Rebels are heating up and looking to make a run down the stretch.

"Looking back at the season, we've struggled a little bit putting the ball in the back of the next," said Pezzino. "But I think after playing this game and putting four goals up against Georgia, it really boosts our confidence, especially leading into the SEC tournament… I think we can build off that going into the most important time of the year. Our goal is to bring home the SEC trophy, so I think that puts us in a good spot."

THE ART OF THE SET PIECE
Three of the Rebels' four goals against the Bulldogs came off of set pieces, an area where the offense is extremely lethal. It all starts with great service, and Ashley Orkus provided just that Saturday night, becoming the first keeper in SEC history to record two assists in a match.

"[Ashley] is just so accurate," said head coach Matt Mott. "She can put it wherever she wants, from tons of distance. But really, we have to mention Molly. Molly goes up and wins them, and Pezz does a good job of getting on the end of them. It's kind of a three-headed monster, I guess. Great service, great header and then the finish is obviously very important.

Martin picked up two assists on both of Pezzino's goals in the win. She has a knack for finding the ball and helping her teammates get off a shot.

"I just try to get any piece of my body on the ball," said Martin. "Any little misdirection can be a gamechanger, and I know that. I know that my height is a big piece of that so I try to do everything that I can to sacrifice and get to the ball."

TWO GOALS, TWO AWARDS
After scoring two goals against Georgia, the honors came pouring in for senior Madisyn Pezzino. The Grand Island, New York, native was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week and TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week Honorable Mention for her stellar performance in the win.

"She is dangerous anytime she has the ball in or around the box and she showed it with the class finishes that she had," said Mott. "Her two goals were excellent, so I'm really happy for her and for the team."

All of the honors are great for Pezzino, but she hasn't taken her eyes off what matters most: the team and their goal of winning the SEC Tournament.

"It's really exciting," said Pezzino. "I'm really grateful and thankful to be able to represent Ole Miss soccer. I'm just happy we got that win. It was so exciting, especially since it was a home game. We hadn't won any home games until then and it was Coco's senior night, I was just really happy to get that win for her."

FINISHING STRONG
A few weeks back, Mott mentioned that the team's goal was to win its final two matches of the regular season before going into the SEC Tournament. After knocking off No. 14 Georgia, the Rebels are a victory away from closing out their season on a high note.

"This will be our third ranked team in a row," said Mott. "Vanderbilt is very good. They have some really good players, an All-American forward, some really fast wingers. They're really tough on defense, and they don't have any holes. We've got to be at our best Saturday night. It's a tall task, but one we are certainly looking forward to."

The Commodores pose a tough matchup for the Rebels on the road, but they are confident in their skill and the game plan. Ole Miss hope that the offense can pick up right where it left off against Georgia.

"We've just got to play our game like we did against Georgia and stay calm and collected," said Martin. "Vandy is a good team. They won the SEC two years ago. We can play with them, and we need to know that their ranking doesn't mean any more than us not having one. We're excited, and we know we can pull it out."

"It's definitely going to be difficult," said Pezzino. "It's never easy going anywhere in the SEC. We just need to come out full throttle, 100 percent, just get after it. I think that will put us in a good spot."

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.

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Players Mentioned

Channing Foster

Molly Martin

Ashley Orkus

Madisyn Pezzino

Haleigh Stackpole

The University of Mississippi Athletics