University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss Soccer Prepares for Senior Day
10/13/2018 4:30:00 PM | Women's Soccer
The Golden Eagles will bid farewell to six seniors
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Southern Miss soccer team will prepare to bid farewell to six seniors who will take the home pitch for the final time in their Southern Miss careers on Sunday, October 14 when the Golden Eagles host UTEP at 12:00 p.m. (CT) at the Southern Miss Track & Field and Soccer Complex.
The senior class composed of midfielders Aisa Ribbens, Hannah Abrams, and Stephanie Garcia, along with forward Elishah Santiago, and defenders Ola Akinniyi and Ashton Stennis have all been a major part of the Golden Eagles success this season. The combination of their leadership, talent, hard work, discipline and resiliency has helped the program to its most successful season in nearly two decades.
After finishing the three previous seasons with conference records of 3-7-0 (2015), 2-6-2 (2016) and 0-7-3 (2017), the senior class has helped the program turn the corner in 2018 by saving their best for last. With four conference games remaining in the regular season, the 2018 squad currently boasts a conference record of 4-2-0 and an overall record of 10-3-0. The 2018 season marks the first 10-win season in the history of the program since 1999.
Although the Golden Eagles success in 2018 might come as a surprise to many, one person who is not surprised is Southern Miss head soccer coach Mohammed El-Zare.
In an interview with Southern Miss Athletics in 2015, El-Zare said of his then freshman class "Two years ago when we recruited this class of freshmen that we have now, we knew that this group was going to be the core of the future of Southern Miss soccer."
In the same interview El-Zare also stated that "The brand of soccer that we want to play is, we want to play with the will to win, exceeding the fear of losing. That means we want to attack. We want to be assertive and we want to be aggressive going forward. It's not easy to play that brand of soccer. It takes a lot of patience, time, and a lot of teaching."
Fast forward four years later after a lot of patience, time and teaching, that same freshman class has brought El-Zare's words to life with their play on the pitch in 2018. The now senior class, along with the rest of the underclassmen, are playing the brand of soccer that El-Zare wanted to establish as they have asserted themselves as a serious contender in C-USA with their resiliency, discipline, and will to win as a unit.
When asked what this year's senior class has meant to the program and the impact that they have had, El-Zare said, "Character and work ethic both on and off of the field combined with resiliency and discipline are all traits that embody who Southern Miss is as a team and that starts with our seniors who embody all of those traits. They have led by example and helped our program turn the corner. When they were freshmen in 2015, I said that this was the class that would turn things around and change the culture of our program and they have."
The Golden Eagles will be seeking their fifth conference win of the season when they step on the pitch on Sunday, which would be the most for any Southern Miss team since the six-win conference season posted by the 2000 team. El-Zare's senior class has laid the groundwork and paid their dues over the last four years and are now enjoying the fruits of their labor as they are priming to make a postseason run.
Thoughts from the senior class as they reflect on their time at Southern Miss
"My experience with the Southern Miss soccer program will be something that I cherish forever. Not only have I had the chance to continue playing the sport I love for four more years, but I have developed life time relationships and values. My coaches have instilled discipline in me that will transfer from the soccer field to the career field and my teammates have given me something special to play for. I wouldn't have wanted to spend my four years of college anywhere but with the Southern Miss soccer family." – Hannah Abrams (M, Pace, Fla.)
"Transferring to Southern Miss was one of the best things that I have ever done for myself. My time here has been filled with nothing but growth, and I am so appreciative of the many people that I have added to my life forever. Thank you for everything Southern Miss. Always and forever #SMTTT." – Elishah Santiago (F, Gainesville, Fla.)
"My time at Southern Miss, as both a student and an athlete, has been unforgettable. Being a part of the soccer team has taught me many lessons and allowed me to be a part of a group that pushed me to become a better person on and off the field. Outside of athletics, the campus provided not only guidance for my future, but it has also brought me friendships that will last a lifetime. I can say I have been truly blessed to have been a part of something so special throughout four years of my life." – Ashton Stennis (D, Ocean Springs, Miss.)
"There were a lot of times that I wanted to give up. Through time though, I realized that everything that made me want to give up only made me stronger, smarter, and a better player overall. I am forever grateful for the time that I have spent here, and I am looking forward to the little time that I have left. This program has grown right before my eyes and I am glad that I was able to be a small part of it. SMTTT" – Stephanie Garcia (M, Houston, Texas)
"I will never forget Southern Miss. The team has taught me so much and they are like family to me. I know that will never change." – Aisa Ribbens (M, Almere, Netherlands)
"Mississippi isn't Texas, but it's not too shabby. I've gained more than I ever thought I would from the Southern Miss soccer program. I have made real connections with some amazing people that I have been blessed to play with. The most important lesson that I have learned is that when you perform beyond what your role calls for, you will excel, and so will others around you. As a captain, I hope to leave my teammates with the ideals that I have learned from others before me, and then some." – Ola Akinniyi (Captain/D, Denton, Texas)
Admission to all home soccer matches is free. Fans can follow the action on the pitch via live updates through the official Southern Miss soccer Twitter account (@SouthernMissSoc).
The senior class composed of midfielders Aisa Ribbens, Hannah Abrams, and Stephanie Garcia, along with forward Elishah Santiago, and defenders Ola Akinniyi and Ashton Stennis have all been a major part of the Golden Eagles success this season. The combination of their leadership, talent, hard work, discipline and resiliency has helped the program to its most successful season in nearly two decades.
After finishing the three previous seasons with conference records of 3-7-0 (2015), 2-6-2 (2016) and 0-7-3 (2017), the senior class has helped the program turn the corner in 2018 by saving their best for last. With four conference games remaining in the regular season, the 2018 squad currently boasts a conference record of 4-2-0 and an overall record of 10-3-0. The 2018 season marks the first 10-win season in the history of the program since 1999.
Although the Golden Eagles success in 2018 might come as a surprise to many, one person who is not surprised is Southern Miss head soccer coach Mohammed El-Zare.
In an interview with Southern Miss Athletics in 2015, El-Zare said of his then freshman class "Two years ago when we recruited this class of freshmen that we have now, we knew that this group was going to be the core of the future of Southern Miss soccer."
In the same interview El-Zare also stated that "The brand of soccer that we want to play is, we want to play with the will to win, exceeding the fear of losing. That means we want to attack. We want to be assertive and we want to be aggressive going forward. It's not easy to play that brand of soccer. It takes a lot of patience, time, and a lot of teaching."
Fast forward four years later after a lot of patience, time and teaching, that same freshman class has brought El-Zare's words to life with their play on the pitch in 2018. The now senior class, along with the rest of the underclassmen, are playing the brand of soccer that El-Zare wanted to establish as they have asserted themselves as a serious contender in C-USA with their resiliency, discipline, and will to win as a unit.
When asked what this year's senior class has meant to the program and the impact that they have had, El-Zare said, "Character and work ethic both on and off of the field combined with resiliency and discipline are all traits that embody who Southern Miss is as a team and that starts with our seniors who embody all of those traits. They have led by example and helped our program turn the corner. When they were freshmen in 2015, I said that this was the class that would turn things around and change the culture of our program and they have."
The Golden Eagles will be seeking their fifth conference win of the season when they step on the pitch on Sunday, which would be the most for any Southern Miss team since the six-win conference season posted by the 2000 team. El-Zare's senior class has laid the groundwork and paid their dues over the last four years and are now enjoying the fruits of their labor as they are priming to make a postseason run.
Thoughts from the senior class as they reflect on their time at Southern Miss
"My experience with the Southern Miss soccer program will be something that I cherish forever. Not only have I had the chance to continue playing the sport I love for four more years, but I have developed life time relationships and values. My coaches have instilled discipline in me that will transfer from the soccer field to the career field and my teammates have given me something special to play for. I wouldn't have wanted to spend my four years of college anywhere but with the Southern Miss soccer family." – Hannah Abrams (M, Pace, Fla.)
"Transferring to Southern Miss was one of the best things that I have ever done for myself. My time here has been filled with nothing but growth, and I am so appreciative of the many people that I have added to my life forever. Thank you for everything Southern Miss. Always and forever #SMTTT." – Elishah Santiago (F, Gainesville, Fla.)
"My time at Southern Miss, as both a student and an athlete, has been unforgettable. Being a part of the soccer team has taught me many lessons and allowed me to be a part of a group that pushed me to become a better person on and off the field. Outside of athletics, the campus provided not only guidance for my future, but it has also brought me friendships that will last a lifetime. I can say I have been truly blessed to have been a part of something so special throughout four years of my life." – Ashton Stennis (D, Ocean Springs, Miss.)
"There were a lot of times that I wanted to give up. Through time though, I realized that everything that made me want to give up only made me stronger, smarter, and a better player overall. I am forever grateful for the time that I have spent here, and I am looking forward to the little time that I have left. This program has grown right before my eyes and I am glad that I was able to be a small part of it. SMTTT" – Stephanie Garcia (M, Houston, Texas)
"I will never forget Southern Miss. The team has taught me so much and they are like family to me. I know that will never change." – Aisa Ribbens (M, Almere, Netherlands)
"Mississippi isn't Texas, but it's not too shabby. I've gained more than I ever thought I would from the Southern Miss soccer program. I have made real connections with some amazing people that I have been blessed to play with. The most important lesson that I have learned is that when you perform beyond what your role calls for, you will excel, and so will others around you. As a captain, I hope to leave my teammates with the ideals that I have learned from others before me, and then some." – Ola Akinniyi (Captain/D, Denton, Texas)
Admission to all home soccer matches is free. Fans can follow the action on the pitch via live updates through the official Southern Miss soccer Twitter account (@SouthernMissSoc).
Players Mentioned
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