The University of Mississippi Athletics
13 Home Games Highlight 2003 Soccer Schedule
4/23/2003 | Soccer
April 23, 2003
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss will play its most home games ever as part of the 2003 soccer schedule, which was released Wednesday by head coach Steve Holeman. The Rebels host 13 matches in Oxford, including the season opener against South Alabama on Aug. 29.
"We're very pleased with the schedule we have put together," Holeman said. "Having so many home games provides us a tremendous advantage. It's a great opportunity to increase our fan support even stronger than it already is."
Ole Miss fans can capture their first glimpse of the 2003 Rebels on Aug. 23 in a preseason match with Oklahoma on a neutral site - Burns Park Soccer Complex in North Little Rock, Ark., which was the site of the Snickers Region III Youth Championships.
The Sooners are one of two first-time opponents, including FIU, and one of two Big 12 foes, along with Missouri. The Rebels posted a 3-0 mark against Big 12 competition a year ago, and claimed a 2-1 overtime victory at Mizzou, which was among the top teams in the Central Region last year with an 11-7-2 record.
Ole Miss will be facing five non-conference opponents for the second straight season with the Rebels' only 2002 loss in that group coming to Florida State in the NCAA first-round regional in Tallahassee. It marked the first NCAA appearance for Ole Miss and the third consecutive for the Seminoles, who advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second time and finished the season ranked 14th in the nation.
After kicking off the campaign with a six-game homestand, the Rebels will return to Tallahassee for a weekend of matches against Jacksonville and FSU Sept. 19 and 21. It is Ole Miss' only non-SEC road trip.
Other out-of-conference challengers include regional rival Memphis, Missouri Valley Conference force Southwest Missouri State and Samford, which compiled a school-best 13-7-1 mark last year.
"We have a good balance of strength in our non-conference schedule," Holeman said. "We're really looking forward to a return trip to Tallahassee, and another shot at a top-25 team like Florida State.
"We feel our non-conference schedule will prepare us well for those tough matches we'll be facing during SEC play."
The always grueling SEC slate begins with the first four on the road, starting at Georgia on Oct. 3. Following is Tennessee, who was No. 10 in the final 2002 national polls, and Western Division adversaries LSU and Arkansas.
The UM regular season concludes with six straight at Ole Miss Soccer Stadium, including Alabama on Oct. 17 and Auburn on Oct. 19. The Rebels add Florida and South Carolina to the docket and drop Kentucky and Vanderbilt from the past two years.
The regular-season finale features the second battle for the Magnolia Cup against archrival Mississippi State on Oct. 31. Ole Miss took possession of the trophy with a 1-0 spring victory over the Bulldogs Apr. 4 in the inaugural Magnolia Cup match.
The SEC Tournament moves to a neutral site - Orange Beach, Ala. - this year for the first time in league history. The Rebels are the only West club to have earned a tourney berth the past six years.
Ole Miss is coming off its finest season as a program, capped by the first NCAA Tournament appearance ever by a Division I team from the state of Mississippi. The Rebels opened the year with a nine-game unbeaten streak, the longest in school history, and was the last undefeated team in the SEC and among the final 11 in DI.
With a 13-5-2 overall record, Ole Miss registered its best single-season winning percentage (.700) and finished top three in the SEC overall standings for the first time. In the rankings, the Rebels rose as high as fifth in the region and 26th in the national polls - both were new team milestones.
Ole Miss is currently enjoying a successful spring with a 6-1 mark on the season. The Rebels, who boast victories over Oklahoma State and MSU, wrap up their offseason competition against Alabama Saturday in Orange Beach.
OLE MISS SOCCER 2003 SCHEDULE
Aug. 23 vs. Oklahoma (Preseason) Little Rock, Ark. NoonAug. 29 South Alabama Oxford, Miss. 7 p.m.Aug. 31 Memphis Oxford, Miss. 1 p.m.Sept. 5 FIU Oxford, Miss. 7 p.m.Sept. 7 Southwest Missouri St. Oxford, Miss. 1 p.m.Sept. 12 Wyoming Oxford, Miss. 7 p.m.Sept. 14 Missouri Oxford, Miss. 1 p.m.Sept. 19 vs. Jacksonville Tallahassee, Fla. 5 p.m.Sept. 21 at Florida State Tallahassee, Fla. 1 p.m.Sept. 26 Middle Tennessee Oxford, Miss. 7 p.m.Sept. 28 Samford Oxford, Miss. 1 p.m.Oct. 3 at Georgia* Athens, Ga. 6 p.m.Oct. 5 at Tennessee* Knoxville, Tenn. 1 p.m.Oct. 10 at LSU* Baton Rouge, La. 7 p.m.Oct. 12 at Arkansas* Fayetteville, Ark. 1 p.m.Oct. 17 Alabama* Oxford, Miss. 7 p.m.Oct. 19 Auburn* Oxford, Miss. 1 p.m.Oct. 24 South Carolina* Oxford, Miss. 7 p.m.Oct. 26 Florida* Oxford, Miss. 1 p.m.Oct. 31 Mississippi State* Oxford, Miss. 7 p.m.Nov. 6-9 SEC Tournament Orange Beach, Ala.
