The University of Mississippi Athletics
Soccer Position Preview: Defenders
8/11/2021 | Soccer
Rebels Return Plenty of Experience on Back Line
OXFORD, Miss. โย 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 is back to take look at the Rebel defenders.
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The Rebel back line is led by senior Sydney Michalak and junior Taylor Radecki, along with a pair of sophomore studs in Lucy Green and Price Loposer. The four defenders helped Ole Miss record seven clean sheets last season and look to continue to shut opposing offenses down.ย
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Michalak has started all 38 matches over the past two seasons, logging 3,581 minutes, and was one of three players to be on the pitch every second of the 2020 campaign. Starting her Rebel career as a forward, Michalak has utilized her immense speed and acute instincts to develop into one of the top outside backs in the Southeastern Conference. The senior also dished out an assist in Ole Miss' win over Georgia Southern.ย
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Radecki, Green and Loposer all earned their spot in the starting XI in their first season with the Rebels in 2020. Like Michalak, Radecki also started all 18 matches a year ago after transferring to Ole Miss from Florida State. The St. Augustine, Florida, native assisted on the game-winning goal in a 2-0 victory over Alabama last fall and played a key role in the Rebels' run to the Sweet 16, including three straight clean sheets to close out the regular season.
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The sophomore duo of Green and Loposer rose to the occasion as rookies last season, both starting 14 matches and helping the Rebels secure six clean sheets. Green's impact on the pitch went beyond defense as she set up the game-tying goal in a come-from-behind victory over No. 13 Vanderbilt and converted a penalty in the shootout victory over Bowling Green in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Loposer also made her presence known on the pitch, garnering SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors after chasing down a would-be Arkansas State scorer to preserve the shutout.ย
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Also returning for her final season in a Rebel kit is Sophie Dineen. The fifth-year senior is taking advantage of an extra season of eligibility, hoping to make it back to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in her career. An Omaha, Nebraska, native, Dineen saw playing time in 17 matches last season and has played a key role in the Rebels' success on defense.
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Additionally, sophomore Abbie Rushwin has worked this offseason to make the transition from forward to defender, much like Michalak. The Frisco, Texas, product gives Ole Miss extra depth off the bench.
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An already experienced position group, the Rebel back line became even richer with talent as Matt Mott added a couple of freshmen to the mix in Kaitlin Maynard and Lily Logan. Maynard comes to Oxford from a powerhouse in Birmingham, Alabama, where she was a four-time letterwinner and three-time all-state honoree at Oak Mountain High School. A team captain, she helped lead OMHS to a 2021 Alabama State Championship. Logan joins the Rebels from Johns Creek, Georgia, where she was a four-year letterwinner at Northview High School. A midfielder coming out of NHS, Logan tallied five goals during her senior campaign.
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Rounding out the defenders is Virginia Tech transfer, Sydney Ash. In two seasons with the Hokies, Ash made 13 appearances with eight starts and helped tally a pair of clean sheets. On campus since January, Ash has been practicing with the Rebels and was likely to factor in to the mix for playing time before suffering an injury in preseason camp.
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Fans will have their first chance to catch the Rebels on the pitch Thursday, August 19, when Ole Miss takes on ETSU at 6 p.m. in Oxford. The season opener will also be broadcast on SEC Network +.
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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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The Rebel back line is led by senior Sydney Michalak and junior Taylor Radecki, along with a pair of sophomore studs in Lucy Green and Price Loposer. The four defenders helped Ole Miss record seven clean sheets last season and look to continue to shut opposing offenses down.ย
ย
Michalak has started all 38 matches over the past two seasons, logging 3,581 minutes, and was one of three players to be on the pitch every second of the 2020 campaign. Starting her Rebel career as a forward, Michalak has utilized her immense speed and acute instincts to develop into one of the top outside backs in the Southeastern Conference. The senior also dished out an assist in Ole Miss' win over Georgia Southern.ย
ย
Radecki, Green and Loposer all earned their spot in the starting XI in their first season with the Rebels in 2020. Like Michalak, Radecki also started all 18 matches a year ago after transferring to Ole Miss from Florida State. The St. Augustine, Florida, native assisted on the game-winning goal in a 2-0 victory over Alabama last fall and played a key role in the Rebels' run to the Sweet 16, including three straight clean sheets to close out the regular season.
ย
The sophomore duo of Green and Loposer rose to the occasion as rookies last season, both starting 14 matches and helping the Rebels secure six clean sheets. Green's impact on the pitch went beyond defense as she set up the game-tying goal in a come-from-behind victory over No. 13 Vanderbilt and converted a penalty in the shootout victory over Bowling Green in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Loposer also made her presence known on the pitch, garnering SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors after chasing down a would-be Arkansas State scorer to preserve the shutout.ย
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Also returning for her final season in a Rebel kit is Sophie Dineen. The fifth-year senior is taking advantage of an extra season of eligibility, hoping to make it back to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in her career. An Omaha, Nebraska, native, Dineen saw playing time in 17 matches last season and has played a key role in the Rebels' success on defense.
ย
Additionally, sophomore Abbie Rushwin has worked this offseason to make the transition from forward to defender, much like Michalak. The Frisco, Texas, product gives Ole Miss extra depth off the bench.
ย
An already experienced position group, the Rebel back line became even richer with talent as Matt Mott added a couple of freshmen to the mix in Kaitlin Maynard and Lily Logan. Maynard comes to Oxford from a powerhouse in Birmingham, Alabama, where she was a four-time letterwinner and three-time all-state honoree at Oak Mountain High School. A team captain, she helped lead OMHS to a 2021 Alabama State Championship. Logan joins the Rebels from Johns Creek, Georgia, where she was a four-year letterwinner at Northview High School. A midfielder coming out of NHS, Logan tallied five goals during her senior campaign.
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Rounding out the defenders is Virginia Tech transfer, Sydney Ash. In two seasons with the Hokies, Ash made 13 appearances with eight starts and helped tally a pair of clean sheets. On campus since January, Ash has been practicing with the Rebels and was likely to factor in to the mix for playing time before suffering an injury in preseason camp.
ย
Fans will have their first chance to catch the Rebels on the pitch Thursday, August 19, when Ole Miss takes on ETSU at 6 p.m. in Oxford. The season opener will also be broadcast on SEC Network +.
ย
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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