Mississippi’s Maddie Friedmann (8) battles an Arkansas defender for the ball during an NCAA college soccer game in Oxford, Miss., Thursday, Sept. 25, 2014. Photo | Thomas Graning
Soccer is a sport where all the attention is put on the players who score goals and save goals. The goal-scorers and goal-keepers grab all the headlines and are responsible for either the wins or the losses. The scrutiny of a loss and the praise of a win is put on the shoulders of these players.
The leaders of any sports team is usually loud, vocal, energetic and the “get in your face” type of person. The leader who wants all the attention and pressure put on them.
One of the leaders of the Ole Miss soccer team does not fit these qualifications.
Junior defenseman Maddie Friedmann is quiet on the field, but her play is anything but that.
Friedmann is the most aggressive player on the field for the Rebels as she tracks the ball from all angles and protects her side and manages the defense to make sure no mistakes are made.
Her play is decisive, tenacious and something the rest of the team should follow.
“I’m more of a composed leadership. That’s what I would like to be remembered for,” Friedmann said. “Saving goals, being able to stop shots and keep crosses from coming in. Not being afraid of getting into a tackle too hard or let the forward know I’m there for the rest of the game, and it’s not going to be easy.”
Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, as a talented recruit out of high school, Friedmann admitted Ole Miss was one of the last schools on her list to visit. Texas A&M, Memphis and Florida were some of the schools Friedmann was seriously considering.
Friedmann said she was 8 years old when she started to play competitive soccer, and it was at the age of 14 she realized soccer would be in her future.
“I try not to think of myself as really good because there’s always someone better. It keeps my head in the game,” Friedmann said. “I was around sports all of the time, but soccer was my favorite sport growing up because I loved running and kicking the ball.”
Although knowing all sports are competitive, Friedmann embraces the fierce nature soccer brings to her life on and off the field.
“Soccer is so physical,” Friedmann said. “You’re having this contact with another player, and it pushes me to be better. I like that. I like a challenge. It’s always been challenging.”
Friedmann was put in a tough spot at the very start of her freshman year. The defenseman above her suffered from a leg injury and was forced to sit out. Since then, she has started every game in her career, which has really helped her mature as a leader and a player.
Coming in right away, playing and having a larger role than most freshmen was the main reason Friedmann came to Ole Miss.
“The coaching staff told me, ‘We’re building a program.’ I would rather be a part of something that is building to be better than something that is already great,” Friedmann said. “I want to become great and be a part of that. I knew my freshman year that I would be able to make a difference, and I’m continuing to try and make a difference. That’s what I like about it.”
Friedmann’s freshman year was also a tough time for the team as a whole. The Rebels finished with a 13-9 overall record in 2012, going 5-8 in Southeastern Conference play and finishing 5th in the SEC West. It was a coming-out party for Friedmann, who started all 22 matches, played a total of 1,883 minutes and helped contribute to eight shutout victories.
Her sophomore year in 2013 was even better. Friedmann started all 24 matches for the Rebels, playing 2,109 minutes, which was the most for any back line player that season, and contributed to 10 shutout victories.
The 2013 season was one of the best years in recent memory for Ole Miss soccer. The Rebels advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament, losing to Florida State 3-1 in the second round.
From her freshman year to now, Friedmann has noticed a distinct difference.
“The main difference I’ve seen is how close we are as a team,” Friedmann said. “We’re kind of like a family – not saying it wasn’t that way my freshman year. We have over the years formed a group of people that really care about each other and love each other. That bond makes a difference on and off the field.”
Friedmann mentioned her team and head coach Matthew Mott instilled in each player that they don’t want to be a “one hit wonder.” The team wants to build off their success from 2013 and make it further this season.
The 2014 Ole Miss soccer team is off to a good start with a 7-3-4 overall record. Not being a “one hit wonder” has a promising look to this season.
“Matt (Mott) used that in the spring to encourage us to keep getting better because the spring is a time to work on yourself individually, and in the fall, we bring it all together,” Friedmann said. “Our motto this year is ‘No Matter What’. No matter what we’re going to play together, and no matter who we’re playing, we’re going to approach it the same way with the same attitude.”
The defenseman in any sport doesn’t grab the spotlight and the headlines. Whether it is soccer, hockey or even lacrosse, the defenseman position is one that is not given the same attention as the goalie or goal scorers. The defenseman position is an extremely undervalued position in all sports.
“Definitely with the media, but with the team, I feel like we are all treated like we have important jobs, and that’s the reality,” Friedmann said.
She added that her job is to prevent goals from being scored, and although it might not be as exciting as watching a striker at work, neither position is lacking in importance.
“Defenders are creating moments as well. It’s just less obvious,” Friedmann said.
Maddie Friedmann is admirable off the field. She’s committed to her sport, but even more so to her academics, a characteristic which assisted her in being named a Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District first team selection during the 2013 season.
That all changes when she steps on the field, however. A different side comes out of her on the field. She plays with aggression and commands the back-end to the best of her abilities.
The combination of tenacity and composure is what makes her the unknown star of the team.
“I don’t get frantic when big plays happen. It’s almost a feeling of being comfortable,” Friedmann said. “The main thing as a defender is to keep your composure because you’re influencing the attitude of the rest of the team. If you’re composed and calm, it creates a great atmosphere for the rest of the team to do the same thing.”
As for her soccer career as a whole, it has taught her many things in life.
“It’s taught me tenacity, just to keep going no matter what. It’s taught me the value of friendship and teamwork and how to work with people,” Friedmann said. “That’s very important for my future years. A huge part of who I am has come from soccer. It’s instilled in me certain values that I’ll carry for the rest of my life.”
