“Reach the Beach.”
It is left to be determined if the University of Mississippi women’s soccer players will have a slogan on the back of T-shirts that captures the essence of the 2012 season.
But coach Matthew Mott has no qualms about stating his team’s primary goal for his third season is to advance to the Southeastern Conference’s tournament in Orange Beach, Ala.
This year, that task could be a bigger challenge with the addition of the University of Missouri and Texas A&M University, which reached the NCAA tournament last season.
Mott is eager to take on that assignment. He feels the Rebels are confident, deeper, and ready to push into the upper half of the SEC after missing the SEC tournament the past two seasons.
“We made a good jump from the first year to the second year,” Mott said. “The best way to grade yourself is by looking at the RPI (Ratings Percentage Index). Nationally, we made a 60-spot jump from the first year to the second year. If we have another significant jump, it will put us right in the places where we want to be.”
Mott worked as a top assistant coach at Auburn University and at the University of Texas before replacing Steve Holeman as coach. Holeman, who is now the head coach at the University of Georgia, created the program at Ole Miss, so as with any coaching change, there was a transition from Holeman’s system to Mott’s style of play.
Entering year three, Mott feels “the culture” of soccer at Ole Miss is where it needs to be.
“We have a group of returners who are hungry and are motivated and ready,” Mott said. “We have a very good freshman class. The returners are doing a good job teaching the freshmen what Rebels Soccer life is all about.”
Senior midfielder Alix Hildal, junior forward Rafaelle Souza, and junior midfielder/forward Mandy McCalla are expected to set the tone for the Rebels. Hildal started all 19 games last season and was fourth on the team in scoring with four goals and 11 points.
“We want our backs to direct (the ball) to (Alix) because she is so sophisticated with the ball,” Mott said. “She has been the most consistent player in my time here.”
Souza, who is from Salvador, Brazil, led the Rebels with nine goals and 25 points, while McCalla was third on the team with five goals and 14 points. Souza started 14 of the 16 games she appeared in last season, and finished third in the SEC in points per game (1.56) and tied for ninth in the league in scoring. She just missed earning a spot on Brazil’s Olympic women’s soccer team.
“Those two are our go-to people up front,” Mott said. “(Rafaelle) has come back in fantastic shape and she is playing at a really high level. Mandy had a fantastic spring and is an absolute monster up front. Those two together are very, very dangerous.”
Mott hopes Ole Miss can build off the end of last season in which it won its final three games to just miss a spot in the SEC tournament. That momentum carried over to the spring and helped Ole Miss beat the University of Memphis, which was one of the top teams in the nation in 2011.
Better defensive play will be a key for the Rebels, who scored 37 goals and allowed last season. Mott liked the production, but he admits the team struggled to defend to the level it needed to be successful. He said depth was a key concern that he feels has been addressed with the latest class of players.
“Recruiting is something we take pride in,” said Mott, who has added players from Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Georgia, and California to the program. Mott said Georgia Russell, of Tupelo, and Sara Coleman, of Laurel, will compete for playing time as freshmen. “This place sells itself. We have been able to attract players at a higher level than I thought we would starting out.”
Mott feels he and his coaching staff have helped Ole Miss become more athletic and have brought players with the right mind-set into the program. The trick now, he said, is to make them better soccer players.
The play of goalkeeper Kelly McCormick will be another key. McCormick played in 12 matches last season (nine starts), and Mott said the 5-foot-7 sophomore from Laguna Niguel, Calif., is in shape and ready to make her mark.
Mott said the team will have to replace the leadership and experience of graduated players like defenders Meredith Snow and Kendyl Mygat, but he said there are six to seven players in the mix for four defensive positions. He said the remaining players could see playing time in the midfield because he wants to try to maintain continuity on the backline.
“If we score 37 goals this year I think we will be in a good spot because I think we will be better defensively,” Mott said. “We’re bringing in a group of defenders who are going to raise the level back there.”
With more depth, Mott wants to see the confidence take over and help push Ole Miss to the next level. He believes his team is fit and hungry to make some noise.
“The big goal for us is to reach Orange Beach,” Mott said. “I think they understand what it takes. … We’re going to rely on our upperclassmen and hope our freshmen help offset that so we’re not relying on the freshmen to completely carry us. Some (of the freshmen) will start and be a big part of our depth, but the pressure falls on the upperclassmen to take us as far as we’re going to go.
“It’s going to be a challenge. It’s going to be hard (to qualify for the SEC tournament). I think we have put ourselves in a spot to qualify for the tournament talent wise and leadership wise. Now we have to go out and prove it.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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