The University of Mississippi Athletics
Soccer Position Preview: Defenders
9/16/2020 | Soccer
Rebels Poised for Excellence on Defense
OXFORD, Miss. โ Continuing a four-part series, OleMissSports.com takes a look at the Rebel soccer team's defenders ahead of Saturday's season opener against Texas A&M.
ย
Ole Miss returns a strong back line that started 50 matches and recorded six shutouts in 2019, led by upperclassmen Sydney Michalak, Madison Smith, Sophie Dineen and Chanel Thomas.ย
ย
Michalak is the only returner on defense to start all 20 matches for Ole Miss last season. The junior made the switch from forward a year ago with flying colors, and now, with a full season of experience under her belt, is the backbone of the defense.ย
ย
After starting the final 10 matches of the 2019 season, Smith has established herself as a mainstay in the middle of the back line. As a sophomore, she played in every match and is a key weapon both aerially and in distributing long free kick opportunities. Smith also contributed on the offensive side of the pitch, scoring against LSU.
ย
Dineen and Thomas also return veteran senior leadership for the Rebel defense. Dineen appeared in 17 matches and made 10 starts for the Rebels a year ago, providing the game-winning assist against Long Beach State. Thomas saw action in all but one match in 2019 and started all 22 matches as a sophomore in 2018.ย
ย
Redshirt-freshmen Micaela Dusseault and Elle Muirhead also return after redshirting their freshman season, both looking to factor in for playing time on an experienced back line. Prior to Ole Miss, Dusseault was a four-time letterwinner at Hutchison School in Memphis, Tennessee, while Muirhead played two high school seasons at Madison Central High School and helped lead the Jaguars to the 2016 state championship with a perfect 22-0-1 record.
ย
In addition to the six returners, the Rebels also added a talented crop of new faces in junior college transfer Marta Estupinan and freshmen Lucy Green and Price Loposer.
ย
Estupinan hails from Canaries, Spain, and comes to Ole Miss by way of Tyler Junior College, one of the nation's most prominent JUCO teams. During her time with the Apaches, Estupinan earned back-to-back NJCAA All-American nods and helped lead her team to the 2019 NJCAA National Championships after finishing as the runner-up in 2018.
ย
Green was named the 2020 Mississippi Gatorade Player of the year after a standout season at West Lauderdale High School in Collinsville, Mississippi. During her high school career Green led the Knights to the Mississippi 4A State Championship four times in five years. Another Magnolia State stud in high school, Loposer was a five-time letterwinner at Jackson Preparatory School in Flowood. Loposer tallied 39 goals and 25 assists in her high school career, helping lead JPS to a pair of state titles.
ย
The Rebels kick off the 2020 season on Saturday, taking on Texas A&M at 5 p.m. CT at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium. The season-opening matchup will be featured on national TV, airing on the SEC Network.
ย
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Soccer on Twitter atย @OleMissSoccer, on Facebook atย Facebook.com/OleMissSoccer, and on Instagram atย Instagram.com/officialolemisssoccer. Also, follow head coach Matt Mott on Twitter atย @CoachMattMott.
ย
ย
Ole Miss returns a strong back line that started 50 matches and recorded six shutouts in 2019, led by upperclassmen Sydney Michalak, Madison Smith, Sophie Dineen and Chanel Thomas.ย
ย
Michalak is the only returner on defense to start all 20 matches for Ole Miss last season. The junior made the switch from forward a year ago with flying colors, and now, with a full season of experience under her belt, is the backbone of the defense.ย
ย
After starting the final 10 matches of the 2019 season, Smith has established herself as a mainstay in the middle of the back line. As a sophomore, she played in every match and is a key weapon both aerially and in distributing long free kick opportunities. Smith also contributed on the offensive side of the pitch, scoring against LSU.
ย
Dineen and Thomas also return veteran senior leadership for the Rebel defense. Dineen appeared in 17 matches and made 10 starts for the Rebels a year ago, providing the game-winning assist against Long Beach State. Thomas saw action in all but one match in 2019 and started all 22 matches as a sophomore in 2018.ย
ย
Redshirt-freshmen Micaela Dusseault and Elle Muirhead also return after redshirting their freshman season, both looking to factor in for playing time on an experienced back line. Prior to Ole Miss, Dusseault was a four-time letterwinner at Hutchison School in Memphis, Tennessee, while Muirhead played two high school seasons at Madison Central High School and helped lead the Jaguars to the 2016 state championship with a perfect 22-0-1 record.
ย
In addition to the six returners, the Rebels also added a talented crop of new faces in junior college transfer Marta Estupinan and freshmen Lucy Green and Price Loposer.
ย
Estupinan hails from Canaries, Spain, and comes to Ole Miss by way of Tyler Junior College, one of the nation's most prominent JUCO teams. During her time with the Apaches, Estupinan earned back-to-back NJCAA All-American nods and helped lead her team to the 2019 NJCAA National Championships after finishing as the runner-up in 2018.
ย
Green was named the 2020 Mississippi Gatorade Player of the year after a standout season at West Lauderdale High School in Collinsville, Mississippi. During her high school career Green led the Knights to the Mississippi 4A State Championship four times in five years. Another Magnolia State stud in high school, Loposer was a five-time letterwinner at Jackson Preparatory School in Flowood. Loposer tallied 39 goals and 25 assists in her high school career, helping lead JPS to a pair of state titles.
ย
The Rebels kick off the 2020 season on Saturday, taking on Texas A&M at 5 p.m. CT at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium. The season-opening matchup will be featured on national TV, airing on the SEC Network.
ย
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Soccer on Twitter atย @OleMissSoccer, on Facebook atย Facebook.com/OleMissSoccer, and on Instagram atย Instagram.com/officialolemisssoccer. Also, follow head coach Matt Mott on Twitter atย @CoachMattMott.
ย
Players Mentioned
D
/ Soccer
D
/ Soccer
D
/ Soccer
D
/ Soccer
D/F
/ Soccer
D
/ Soccer
D
/ Soccer
D
/ SoccerFriday, October 10
Friday, October 10
Friday, October 10
Friday, October 10