The University of Mississippi Athletics
Soccer Practice Report: Sept. 25
9/25/2020 | Soccer
<i class="icon-video"></i> Mott Interview<i class="icon-video"></i> O'Connor Interview<i class="icon-video"></i> Holland
Focus Shifted to Road Tilt at LSU
OXFORD, Miss. โ Ole Miss is ready to put last week's season-opening defeat against Texas A&M in the rearview mirror, moving on to a tricky road matchup with a game squad from LSU.
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Earlier this week, head coach Matt Mott and sophomores Mo O'Connor and Saydie Holland sat down with our own Seth Austin to chat about the team's progress through fall practice and the outlook of Saturday's match.
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GOOD TO BE BACK
The Rebels opened up their 2020 fall slate last weekend against Texas A&M, and, although it wasn't the outcome that they hoped for, everyone on the team feels grateful to have the opportunity to play the sport they love.ย
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"It was really exciting," said Holland. "We're so blessed and grateful that we actually get to play on the field this year. I know a lot of conferences that are getting canceled, and we were just really lucky to finally get out there and play an opponent that isn't ourselves."
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During the summer months and fall camp, the Rebels logged countless hours of practice, not knowing if there would even be a season. For O'Connor, being able to play makes it all worth it.
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"It meant a lot," said O'Connor. "Just because there's been so much training and running, so much going on and off the field that we been working on for so long, it was just nice to finally go against an opponent really."
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MOVING FORWARD
The Rebels learned a lot about themselves in the first game, and with a week to review film and improve on the pitch, they are moving forward. Mott shared some of his thoughts on their performance in week one and the adjustments that his team is making.
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"I think defensively as a team, we weren't good enough," said Mott. "I felt like when we got an attack, we had a couple good moments, and we just didn't capitalize, we just missed. We need to be cleaner, but you know, usually you get a couple exhibitions and a 10-game build up to SEC play. To come out right away, and in the end, I take full responsibility. I think that they did some things that we weren't ready for and we didn't adjust well enough to them."
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SEC DEBUT
The starting lineup for the Rebels featured four new faces in the season opener against Texas A&M. Mott was very impressed by his newcomers, who started their Rebel career thrust right into the fire of SEC action.
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"I was happy with the team, you know, we had some really good performances from some new guys," said Mott. "Taylor Radecki, who was a newcomer for us, a transfer from Florida State, came in and did a really nice job in central midfield. I was really happy with her. Marta [Estupiñán] was another new one for us that played really well in the game. Lucy Green was another new freshman who did a really good job for us, Ramsey Davis too. Some of those guys, for their first ever SEC game, I thought handled the pressure really well."
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MO O'CONNOR: A TEAM PLAYER
Oxford native Mo O'Connor recorded 40 minutes off the bench in the first week of action. After being tabbed to the All-SEC Freshman team a year ago, O'Connor is looking to use her tenacious style of play to provide a spark on offense for the Rebels.ย
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"It's time for her to really take some ownership upfront for us," said Mott. "We're going to play her in an attacking role for sure. She's a dynamic attacker, whether she's a midfielder or she's upfront. She's fast, she's dangerous, she's tenacious and she has a nose for the goal. We're looking for her to make that step forward, and I think she's ready to do that."
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Despite being the best player on the pitch for the vast majority of her career, O'Connor maintains a team-first mindset. She's prepared to go out and work as a unit to win every time she steps on the field.
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"[I] just try to help my team as best as I can, really making sure that I give it everything I have every time I'm out there," said O'Connor.
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SAYDIE HOLLAND: A GAMER
Another sophomore standout is Saydie Holland. She played 21 minutes off the bench in Week One and hopes to see even more action as the season continues. One of the hardest working players on the field, Holland lets her game do the talking.
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"She's a hard worker," said Mott. "She doesn't say a whole lot during play. She just lets her game speak for her. She's a gamer, she raises her level during the game. No game's been too big โฆ [Saydie] can play in so many positions, she's so versatile. I like her in the center of the park, I like her out wide and I think she can play up front. Technically, she's very good and tactically, she's a really smart soccer player. We're big fans of Saydie and are looking for another big step for her in her sophomore year."
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SCOUTING THE TIGERS
With one game under its belt, Ole Miss has shifted its focus to its next opponent, LSU. The Rebels are set to take on the Tigers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Sunday at 1 p.m. Mott knows that the Tigers have something to prove, but he has his team prepared as they look to snag their first win of the season on the road.ย
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"[It will be a] very big challenge," said Mott. "I think we're their home opener with a brand-new coach. I thought they looked very good on tape versus Arkansas โฆ Our hands are going to be full for sure but we're looking forward to the challenge, looking forward to going down to Baton Rouge and performing on Sunday. It's on ESPNU so it's a national TV game, and we want a better performance than we had last week for sure."
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Holland knows that the Rebels need to get the offense rolling, attacking early and often against the Tigers to pick up three key points.
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"I think we definitely need to get more shots off," said Holland. "That was one thing that we needed to capitalize on when we played A&M. [LSU] has some tough players up top that we need to lockdown, but I think we just need to get more shots off and capitalize on our chances."
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Soccer on Twitter at @OleMissSoccer, on Facebook atย Facebook.com/OleMissSoccer, and on Instagram at Instagram.com/officialolemisssoccer. Also, follow head coach Matt Mott on Twitter atย @CoachMattMott.
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Earlier this week, head coach Matt Mott and sophomores Mo O'Connor and Saydie Holland sat down with our own Seth Austin to chat about the team's progress through fall practice and the outlook of Saturday's match.
ย
GOOD TO BE BACK
The Rebels opened up their 2020 fall slate last weekend against Texas A&M, and, although it wasn't the outcome that they hoped for, everyone on the team feels grateful to have the opportunity to play the sport they love.ย
ย
"It was really exciting," said Holland. "We're so blessed and grateful that we actually get to play on the field this year. I know a lot of conferences that are getting canceled, and we were just really lucky to finally get out there and play an opponent that isn't ourselves."
ย
During the summer months and fall camp, the Rebels logged countless hours of practice, not knowing if there would even be a season. For O'Connor, being able to play makes it all worth it.
ย
"It meant a lot," said O'Connor. "Just because there's been so much training and running, so much going on and off the field that we been working on for so long, it was just nice to finally go against an opponent really."
ย
MOVING FORWARD
The Rebels learned a lot about themselves in the first game, and with a week to review film and improve on the pitch, they are moving forward. Mott shared some of his thoughts on their performance in week one and the adjustments that his team is making.
ย
"I think defensively as a team, we weren't good enough," said Mott. "I felt like when we got an attack, we had a couple good moments, and we just didn't capitalize, we just missed. We need to be cleaner, but you know, usually you get a couple exhibitions and a 10-game build up to SEC play. To come out right away, and in the end, I take full responsibility. I think that they did some things that we weren't ready for and we didn't adjust well enough to them."
ย
SEC DEBUT
The starting lineup for the Rebels featured four new faces in the season opener against Texas A&M. Mott was very impressed by his newcomers, who started their Rebel career thrust right into the fire of SEC action.
ย
"I was happy with the team, you know, we had some really good performances from some new guys," said Mott. "Taylor Radecki, who was a newcomer for us, a transfer from Florida State, came in and did a really nice job in central midfield. I was really happy with her. Marta [Estupiñán] was another new one for us that played really well in the game. Lucy Green was another new freshman who did a really good job for us, Ramsey Davis too. Some of those guys, for their first ever SEC game, I thought handled the pressure really well."
ย
MO O'CONNOR: A TEAM PLAYER
Oxford native Mo O'Connor recorded 40 minutes off the bench in the first week of action. After being tabbed to the All-SEC Freshman team a year ago, O'Connor is looking to use her tenacious style of play to provide a spark on offense for the Rebels.ย
ย
"It's time for her to really take some ownership upfront for us," said Mott. "We're going to play her in an attacking role for sure. She's a dynamic attacker, whether she's a midfielder or she's upfront. She's fast, she's dangerous, she's tenacious and she has a nose for the goal. We're looking for her to make that step forward, and I think she's ready to do that."
ย
Despite being the best player on the pitch for the vast majority of her career, O'Connor maintains a team-first mindset. She's prepared to go out and work as a unit to win every time she steps on the field.
ย
"[I] just try to help my team as best as I can, really making sure that I give it everything I have every time I'm out there," said O'Connor.
ย
SAYDIE HOLLAND: A GAMER
Another sophomore standout is Saydie Holland. She played 21 minutes off the bench in Week One and hopes to see even more action as the season continues. One of the hardest working players on the field, Holland lets her game do the talking.
ย
"She's a hard worker," said Mott. "She doesn't say a whole lot during play. She just lets her game speak for her. She's a gamer, she raises her level during the game. No game's been too big โฆ [Saydie] can play in so many positions, she's so versatile. I like her in the center of the park, I like her out wide and I think she can play up front. Technically, she's very good and tactically, she's a really smart soccer player. We're big fans of Saydie and are looking for another big step for her in her sophomore year."
ย
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
With one game under its belt, Ole Miss has shifted its focus to its next opponent, LSU. The Rebels are set to take on the Tigers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Sunday at 1 p.m. Mott knows that the Tigers have something to prove, but he has his team prepared as they look to snag their first win of the season on the road.ย
ย
"[It will be a] very big challenge," said Mott. "I think we're their home opener with a brand-new coach. I thought they looked very good on tape versus Arkansas โฆ Our hands are going to be full for sure but we're looking forward to the challenge, looking forward to going down to Baton Rouge and performing on Sunday. It's on ESPNU so it's a national TV game, and we want a better performance than we had last week for sure."
ย
Holland knows that the Rebels need to get the offense rolling, attacking early and often against the Tigers to pick up three key points.
ย
"I think we definitely need to get more shots off," said Holland. "That was one thing that we needed to capitalize on when we played A&M. [LSU] has some tough players up top that we need to lockdown, but I think we just need to get more shots off and capitalize on our chances."
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Soccer on Twitter at @OleMissSoccer, on Facebook atย Facebook.com/OleMissSoccer, and on Instagram at Instagram.com/officialolemisssoccer. Also, follow head coach Matt Mott on Twitter atย @CoachMattMott.
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Players Mentioned
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