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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Soccer Position Preview: Goalkeepers
8/10/2021 | Soccer
Orkus Looks to Continue Dominance in Goal
OXFORD, Miss. – With 16 players returning from last season's NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, the Rebels are ready to run it back. As No. 23 Ole Miss soccer prepares to kick off its season on August 19, OleMissSports.com takes an in-depth look at the program's goalkeepers in the first of a four-part series.
Ashley Orkus, who has risen to national acclaim as one of the top keepers in the country, is back to lead the Rebels in goal. Just last season, she garnered TopDrawerSoccer Best XI First Team honors as the top goalkeeper in the nation and became the fourth Rebel to ever earn All-American honors after playing every second in both the fall and spring. Orkus was voted the SEC Keeper of the Year unanimously and received a first team all-conference nod. The Vestavia Hills, Alabama, product played a key role in Ole Miss' Sweet 16 run. She came up big in back-to-back penalty shootout victories against Bowling Green and No. 8 national seed USC, making seven shootout saves. Orkus' heroics earned her TDS National Player of the Week honors following the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Last season, Orkus led the SEC with 85 saves and seven clean sheets while making an impact on the offensive side of the ball as well, recording three assists. Through 18 matches, she posted a save percentage of .825 and a 0.96 goals-against average.
Freshman Alyssa Zalac will join Orkus at the keeper position and have a chance to learn from the veteran as well as head coach Matt Mott and goalkeeper coach Rob Thompson. Zalac hails from Montreal, Canada, where she starred in goal for Lakeshore SC. In 2018 she was awarded the LSEQ Golden Glove Award, recognizing the best goalkeeper in Quebec, after helping lead Lakeshore to provincial championships and national silver medals in both 2018 and 2019.
Fans will have their first chance to catch Orkus and Zalac on the pitch Thursday, August 19, when Ole Miss takes on ETSU at 6 p.m. CT in Oxford. The Rebels season opener will also be broadcast on SEC Network +.
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.
Ashley Orkus, who has risen to national acclaim as one of the top keepers in the country, is back to lead the Rebels in goal. Just last season, she garnered TopDrawerSoccer Best XI First Team honors as the top goalkeeper in the nation and became the fourth Rebel to ever earn All-American honors after playing every second in both the fall and spring. Orkus was voted the SEC Keeper of the Year unanimously and received a first team all-conference nod. The Vestavia Hills, Alabama, product played a key role in Ole Miss' Sweet 16 run. She came up big in back-to-back penalty shootout victories against Bowling Green and No. 8 national seed USC, making seven shootout saves. Orkus' heroics earned her TDS National Player of the Week honors following the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Last season, Orkus led the SEC with 85 saves and seven clean sheets while making an impact on the offensive side of the ball as well, recording three assists. Through 18 matches, she posted a save percentage of .825 and a 0.96 goals-against average.
Freshman Alyssa Zalac will join Orkus at the keeper position and have a chance to learn from the veteran as well as head coach Matt Mott and goalkeeper coach Rob Thompson. Zalac hails from Montreal, Canada, where she starred in goal for Lakeshore SC. In 2018 she was awarded the LSEQ Golden Glove Award, recognizing the best goalkeeper in Quebec, after helping lead Lakeshore to provincial championships and national silver medals in both 2018 and 2019.
Fans will have their first chance to catch Orkus and Zalac on the pitch Thursday, August 19, when Ole Miss takes on ETSU at 6 p.m. CT in Oxford. The Rebels season opener will also be broadcast on SEC Network +.
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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