Ole Miss Falls In SEC Soccer Tournament Semifinals

Nov. 7, 2003

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. - Ole Miss had more shots, but Tennessee finished its opportunities. The 16th-ranked Lady Volunteers used a pair of second-half goals to survive a tightly-contested battle with the Rebels, 2-0, Friday in the semifinals of the SEC Soccer Tournament at Orange Beach Sportsplex.

Much like the regular-season war won by Ole Miss 1-0, Friday's bout featured more defense than offense, as the Rebels and Lady Vols traded possession all night. Shots were limited with Ole Miss (14-5-2) finishing with a 12-9 shot advantage, including eight shots-on-goal.

After 53 scoreless minutes, Tennessee (15-4-1) broke the stalemate as Sue Flamini sent the ball ahead to a sliding Rhian Wilkinson who launched an eight-yard rocket on a runout.

Ole Miss, which was making its third SEC Tournament semifinal appearance in five years, followed the score with some dangerous opportunities, including a pair of excellent shots by Megan Mattei. Amy Sample, who initiated much of the Ole Miss offense, also fired two attempts on goal.

Despite the Rebels' urgent attack, UT would again be the team to take advantage of its chances, netting a security goal with six minutes remaining. Wilkinson chipped the ball over a Rebel defender to Ali Christoph on the right side, and she connected with the far upper corner from seven yards away.

It marked only the fourth time this season that the Ole Miss defense - statistically the SEC's best - surrendered more than one goal in a game.

"I'm disappointed," said Rebel head coach Steve Holeman. "I thought that we played well tonight. Tennessee had the better of the play though. They played with a little more passion than we did. We did some great things at times. The last 15 or 20 minutes we played like we know we can. We played with some urgency but it was too little, too late."

The defending SEC Tournament champion Lady Vols advance to Sunday's final for the second straight year and will face the winner of Friday's late game between third-seeded Florida and sixth-seeded Georgia.

The Rebels await Monday's NCAA Tournament announcement at 3 p.m. CT on ESPNEWS. Ole Miss earned the program's first Tournament berth a year ago.

"I think we've done what we needed to do during the regular season and by beating Kentucky in the first round," Holeman said. "I know it's in (the selection committee's) hands. We feel like we deserve the opportunity to go back to the NCAA tournament."

The Rebels boast their highest single-season win percentage (.714) and have equaled their most wins in a season. Ole Miss finished top four in the SEC overall for the second straight year and spent five weeks ranked in the nation's top 25, becoming the first school from the state of Mississippi to enter the polls.


 SEC TOURNAMENT - Semifinals
 Orange Beach, Ala. (Orange Beach Sportsplex)


Ole Miss (14-5-2) vs. #16 Tennessee (15-4-1)
 Date: Nov 7, 2003   Weather: Clear, 68 Degrees
 -------------------------------
 Ole Miss.............  0  0 -  0
 Tennessee...........   0  2 -  2


 SCORING SUMMARY:
  1.  53:22 UT Rhian Wilkinson (5) (Sue Flamini) - Through Ball, Shot From 8 Yds
  2.  83:56 UT Ali Christoph (6) (Rhian Wilkinson) - Chip Into Box, Shot From 7 Yds


 Shots: Ole Miss 12, Tennessee 9
 Saves: Ole Miss 4 (Brittany Gillespie 3; Team 1), Tennessee 8 (V. Phillips-Bosshart 8)

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Kristal Menard

Megan Mattei

Amy Sample

Brittney Potts

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