The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Continue SEC Soccer Play at Alabama, Auburn
10/10/2002 | Soccer
Oct. 10, 2002
OXFORD, Miss. - In a pair of key SEC West soccer battles, Ole Miss takes a tour through Alabama this weekend to match up with the Crimson Tide Friday and the Auburn Tigers Sunday. Game time with Alabama is 7 p.m. CST in Tuscaloosa, while the Auburn match is at 1 p.m. on the Plains.
The Rebels (9-1-1, 1-1 SEC) are coming off a split in their first weekend of SEC play, falling to LSU last Friday, but rebounding against Arkansas on Sunday. The 2-1 loss to the Tigers ended the Rebels' undefeated start - the longest unbeaten streak in school history.
However, Ole Miss, who is still in the midst of its best start ever, won its sixth straight against the Lady 'Backs, and fifth by a 2-1 score. Redshirt freshman Kelly Renie led the comeback victory with her fourth mulitple-goal performance and sixth game-winner. She remains among the nation's top 12 in points (27) and goals (12).
Four of the six SEC West teams have 1-1 league marks following the first week, including both Alabama and Auburn. Each club picked up a road win over Georgia and a loss at Tennessee last weekend.
"This is a critical weekend for us," said UM head coach Steve Holeman, whose team is sixth in the Central Region rankings. "These are two big games against a pair of division rivals. Both teams are ranked top 10 in the Southeast Region and playing well.
"Alabama is always a hostile environment, but I think the players are ready for the challenge. We played a demanding non-conference schedule that has prepared us well for these key matches."
The Tide rolls in with a 10-2 overall record and the nation's third-best offense, averaging 4.25 goals per game. UA nearly pulled off the weekend sweep on Sunday, leading the 13th-ranked Lady Vols twice before eventually falling 3-2. Junior forward Dawn Nash registered her team-high 10th goal against UT and is tied for second in the SEC in total points with 27.
The heated series between Bama and Ole Miss is 5-3 in favor of the Tide, although the Rebels have taken two of the last three meetings. Five of the contests have been decided by a single-goal including the last two. Ole Miss was a 1-0 winner a year ago, on the strength of an Amy Sample game-winner.
The SEC coaches' preseason pick to win the West, Auburn (9-3) has risen as high as ninth in the national polls this year, but is currently out of the rankings having dropped two of its last three matches.
Guarding the net for the Tigers is arguably the nation's best keeper in sophomore Megan Rivera. A 2001 All-America, Rivera tops the conference in shutouts with five while compiling a 0.84 goals-against average.
AU holds a 5-3 edge all-time against the Rebels. After a 1-0 regular-season win last year in Oxford, Ole Miss had prevailed in three straight but fell, 2-1, to the Tigers in the semi-finals of the 2002 SEC Tournament.
UM senior Anna Sanders netted the lone goal in the tourney defeat, and boast two goals and two assists against Auburn over her career.
In other news, the Rebels will be without senior defender Courtney Biddle for the remainder of the 2002 campaign. Earlier this week, the Pittsburgh native underwent surgery for her torn anterior cruciate ligament, an injury that occurred during the first week of the preseason.
