The University of Mississippi Athletics
Soccer Practice Report: Sept. 5
9/5/2020 | Soccer
<i class="icon-video"></i> Coach Mott Interview<i class="icon-video"></i> Sydney Michalak Interview<i class="icon-video"></i> Ashley Orkus Interview
Defense Looking Strong as Season Approaches
OXFORD, Miss. โ With the start of the 2020 season less than two weeks away, the intensity and focus of training has ramped up as Ole Miss continues its preparations for the upcoming campaign.
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Earlier in the week, head coach Matt Mott, junior full back Sydney Michalak and junior keeper Ashley Orkus sat down with our own Seth Austin to chat about the team's progress through fall practice.
ย
WELCOMED CLARITY
Following last week's news of the SEC's plan for the 2020 season and the Sept. 18 start date, the team has been granted a little extra motivation in training. The Rebel squad received the news from athletics director Keith Carter and Deputy A.D. Lynnette Johnson, gracing the pair in the year's first rendition of the immortal Hotty Toddy cheer. With some much-welcomed clarity, the team can now work to progress from intrasquad scrimmages to an 8-match SEC slate.
ย
With the start of the fall season now two short weeks away, the Rebel players and coaches alike are itching to be back out competing on the pitch against a team other than their own for the first time since November.
ย
"It's been so long," said Michalak. "It will just be amazing. We've worked so hard for this long."
ย
The Sept. 18 start date not only means the Rebels know when their season will kick off, it also signifies that the season opener will be the very first competition across the entire Ole Miss athletic department.
ย
"Typically, we are kicking off the sports season and it looks like we're going to do that again this year," said Mott. "Certainly, there has been a change to our mentality a little bitโฆ our focus is changing now to preparing for games.
ย
IT JUST MEANS MORE OF A CHALLENGE
While excitement is high, Coach Mott has noted that there will be difficulties in a season unlike any other. With no exhibitions or non-conference games to serve as tune-ups, the Rebels will be tasked with jumping right into the grind of SEC play, facing some of the best talent the nation has to offer.
ย
"It's live bullets," said Mott. "We're going against it live right away. Typically, you've got eight or 10 games to build into that but now they're all going to matter right away. Whoever we start out against is going to be a really good team and then after that it'll be another really good team."
ย
Another wrinkle into the seasons format will be the lack of ability to scout early in the season. With no non-league games to provide film, each team will be going into their first matches of the season with less information than past years.
ย
"The scouting is going to be very difficult because nobody has played anybody," said Mott. "But getting ready to play is something to be excited about and our team will be ready."
ย
ORKUS ASCENDING
With a full season in Red and Navy under her belt and two campaigns spent in Oxford, junior keeper Ashley Orkus has continued to build on an impressive 2019 season, earning high praise from her coaches and loft expectations between the posts.
ย
"she has become an elite level goalkeeper, without question," said Mott. "Obviously, I'm biased but she is certainly in the top group of the league. She can do it all, she is a great shot-stopper, her distribution with her feet is phenomenal and she commands the back line, she is in charge of her defensive unit. We expect great things for her this year"
ย
The junior's level of play has drawn not only the eye of her coaching staff, but also of her teammates on the defensive unit, with whom she paired to post six clean sheets in 2019.
ย
"I love playing with her, she definitely talks to you if you need it," said Michalak. "If you make a mistake, she'll tell you what to do. She's just very energetic and very uplifting whenever we need it. And she's a hell of a good keeper."
ย
THOMPSON'S IMPACT
One member of the Rebel staff who likely doesn't receive enough praise is goalkeepers coach and associate head coach Rob Thompson, who has been a member of Mott's staff from the very beginning in 2010. Under his tutelage, the Rebels have rolled out one outstanding shot stopper after another, from Kelly McCormick to Marnie Merritt to Orkus.
ย
Orkus credits Thompson's mind for the main reason why he is one of the nation's elite coaches, though doesn't discredit the importance of facing the England natives wicked left foot every day in training.
ย
"He gets to know every one of his goalkeepers as a person and not just as a player," said Orkus. "I can't say enough good things about him. He's a big part of the reason I love playing this game."
ย
While the tremendous impact that Thompson has on the team may go overlooked to an extent by people outside of the program, Mott is well aware of how lucky he is to have the coaching veteran on his staff.
ย
"I think we have the best goalkeeper coach in the country in Coach Thompson and he's done a great job with both of our keepers," said Mott.
ย
MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
For the first time in her career, Orkus occupies the role of the veteran leader in goal for the Rebels after playing every second of the 2019 season, providing mentorship for redshirt-freshman Lizah Pistorio. It has become a role that the Vestavia Hills High School product relishes.
ย
"It's been really cool," said Orkus. "Lizah is the first goalkeeper that I've been able to see develop as I've been hereโฆ Seeing her come in and seeing how much she's grown as both a player and a person has been incredibleโฆ It's really cool being able to train with her day in and day out and I'm really, really thankful for it."
ย
TENACIOUS D
This time a year ago, Sydney Michalak was adjusting to a new position after moving to the back line from her role as a pacey forward. While it was the first time the Floridian had played among the defensive unit since her early years of playing the game, Michalak progressed well, often being charged with marking the opposing team's top attacking player out wide.
ย
"She's tenacious," said Mott. "She's the fastest player on our team and it's really not that close. She's got great explosivenessโฆ and is good with either her left or right foot so she can play on either side. We started in practice playing her against some of our better forwards and she took to it right away."
ย
Michalak credits those attacking teammates for her success in switching positions, having the opportunity to face some of the league's very best talent regularly in training.
ย
"They definitely helped prepare me for the SEC because they are some good players," said Michalak. "Especially Lonnie (Mulligan), she can run down the line like it's nothing, so they've definitely helped me prepare to play against the other top forwards in the SEC."
ย
Mulligan matches the other dangerous attacking threats sprinkled throughout the league in providing elite-level speed whether it's driving wide or making darting runs up the middle. However, Michalak has plenty of speed to burn when it comes to providing coverage.
ย
"People don't know that I'm fast, and I can get there if I need to," said Michalak. "You just can't get past me."
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.
ย
ย
Earlier in the week, head coach Matt Mott, junior full back Sydney Michalak and junior keeper Ashley Orkus sat down with our own Seth Austin to chat about the team's progress through fall practice.
ย
WELCOMED CLARITY
Following last week's news of the SEC's plan for the 2020 season and the Sept. 18 start date, the team has been granted a little extra motivation in training. The Rebel squad received the news from athletics director Keith Carter and Deputy A.D. Lynnette Johnson, gracing the pair in the year's first rendition of the immortal Hotty Toddy cheer. With some much-welcomed clarity, the team can now work to progress from intrasquad scrimmages to an 8-match SEC slate.
ย
With the start of the fall season now two short weeks away, the Rebel players and coaches alike are itching to be back out competing on the pitch against a team other than their own for the first time since November.
ย
"It's been so long," said Michalak. "It will just be amazing. We've worked so hard for this long."
ย
The Sept. 18 start date not only means the Rebels know when their season will kick off, it also signifies that the season opener will be the very first competition across the entire Ole Miss athletic department.
ย
"Typically, we are kicking off the sports season and it looks like we're going to do that again this year," said Mott. "Certainly, there has been a change to our mentality a little bitโฆ our focus is changing now to preparing for games.
ย
IT JUST MEANS MORE OF A CHALLENGE
While excitement is high, Coach Mott has noted that there will be difficulties in a season unlike any other. With no exhibitions or non-conference games to serve as tune-ups, the Rebels will be tasked with jumping right into the grind of SEC play, facing some of the best talent the nation has to offer.
ย
"It's live bullets," said Mott. "We're going against it live right away. Typically, you've got eight or 10 games to build into that but now they're all going to matter right away. Whoever we start out against is going to be a really good team and then after that it'll be another really good team."
ย
Another wrinkle into the seasons format will be the lack of ability to scout early in the season. With no non-league games to provide film, each team will be going into their first matches of the season with less information than past years.
ย
"The scouting is going to be very difficult because nobody has played anybody," said Mott. "But getting ready to play is something to be excited about and our team will be ready."
ย
ORKUS ASCENDING
With a full season in Red and Navy under her belt and two campaigns spent in Oxford, junior keeper Ashley Orkus has continued to build on an impressive 2019 season, earning high praise from her coaches and loft expectations between the posts.
ย
"she has become an elite level goalkeeper, without question," said Mott. "Obviously, I'm biased but she is certainly in the top group of the league. She can do it all, she is a great shot-stopper, her distribution with her feet is phenomenal and she commands the back line, she is in charge of her defensive unit. We expect great things for her this year"
ย
The junior's level of play has drawn not only the eye of her coaching staff, but also of her teammates on the defensive unit, with whom she paired to post six clean sheets in 2019.
ย
"I love playing with her, she definitely talks to you if you need it," said Michalak. "If you make a mistake, she'll tell you what to do. She's just very energetic and very uplifting whenever we need it. And she's a hell of a good keeper."
ย
THOMPSON'S IMPACT
One member of the Rebel staff who likely doesn't receive enough praise is goalkeepers coach and associate head coach Rob Thompson, who has been a member of Mott's staff from the very beginning in 2010. Under his tutelage, the Rebels have rolled out one outstanding shot stopper after another, from Kelly McCormick to Marnie Merritt to Orkus.
ย
Orkus credits Thompson's mind for the main reason why he is one of the nation's elite coaches, though doesn't discredit the importance of facing the England natives wicked left foot every day in training.
ย
"He gets to know every one of his goalkeepers as a person and not just as a player," said Orkus. "I can't say enough good things about him. He's a big part of the reason I love playing this game."
ย
While the tremendous impact that Thompson has on the team may go overlooked to an extent by people outside of the program, Mott is well aware of how lucky he is to have the coaching veteran on his staff.
ย
"I think we have the best goalkeeper coach in the country in Coach Thompson and he's done a great job with both of our keepers," said Mott.
ย
MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
For the first time in her career, Orkus occupies the role of the veteran leader in goal for the Rebels after playing every second of the 2019 season, providing mentorship for redshirt-freshman Lizah Pistorio. It has become a role that the Vestavia Hills High School product relishes.
ย
"It's been really cool," said Orkus. "Lizah is the first goalkeeper that I've been able to see develop as I've been hereโฆ Seeing her come in and seeing how much she's grown as both a player and a person has been incredibleโฆ It's really cool being able to train with her day in and day out and I'm really, really thankful for it."
ย
TENACIOUS D
This time a year ago, Sydney Michalak was adjusting to a new position after moving to the back line from her role as a pacey forward. While it was the first time the Floridian had played among the defensive unit since her early years of playing the game, Michalak progressed well, often being charged with marking the opposing team's top attacking player out wide.
ย
"She's tenacious," said Mott. "She's the fastest player on our team and it's really not that close. She's got great explosivenessโฆ and is good with either her left or right foot so she can play on either side. We started in practice playing her against some of our better forwards and she took to it right away."
ย
Michalak credits those attacking teammates for her success in switching positions, having the opportunity to face some of the league's very best talent regularly in training.
ย
"They definitely helped prepare me for the SEC because they are some good players," said Michalak. "Especially Lonnie (Mulligan), she can run down the line like it's nothing, so they've definitely helped me prepare to play against the other top forwards in the SEC."
ย
Mulligan matches the other dangerous attacking threats sprinkled throughout the league in providing elite-level speed whether it's driving wide or making darting runs up the middle. However, Michalak has plenty of speed to burn when it comes to providing coverage.
ย
"People don't know that I'm fast, and I can get there if I need to," said Michalak. "You just can't get past me."
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.
ย
Players Mentioned
Friday, October 10
Friday, October 10
Friday, October 10
Friday, October 10