The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebel Soccer Team to Play Red-Blue Game Wednesday Night
8/19/2003 | Soccer
Aug. 19, 2003
OXFORD, Miss. - The Ole Miss soccer team will play its own Red-Blue Game Wednesday night, as the Rebels continue their preseason workouts. The inner-squad scrimmage will begin at 7 p.m. CST at Ole Miss Soccer Stadium, and fans are encouraged to attend.
Beginning their quest for a second straight NCAA Tournament berth, the Rebels kicked off preseason practices on Aug. 11. Head coach Steve Holeman is pleased with his team's progress thus far and is excited about Wednesday's scrimmage.
"The preseason has gone extremely well," Holeman said. "We've accomplished a lot so far, but we still have a great deal of work to do before we're prepared for competition.
"Tomorrow night should be a great opportunity for the team to play in a game environment. It's also an excellent chance for the fans to get an early preview of this year's team."
Ole Miss returns nine of 11 starters from last year's 13-5-2 club, which finished top three in the SEC overall for the first time in school history. The Rebels welcomed 11 newcomers to camp, and among them Megan Mattei, a sophomore transfer from West Virginia. The midfielder/defender from Memphis, appeared in 13 games last year for the Mountaineers, who recorded an 18-3-1 mark and achieved a No. 12 final national ranking.
Also new to the UM squad is a pair of freshman forwards in Sammi Gould from Germantown, Tenn., and Bernadette Bartlett from Miami. Gould was a 2002 All-State pick at Briarcrest Chritian High School, and was twice named to the Commercial Appeal "Best of the Preps" All- Metro team. Bartlett was the Miami Herald Miami-Dade County Player of the Year as a senior at American Senior High School.
Freshmen Mary Robinson and Anna McVey give the Rebels five native Mississippians on their 2003 roster. Robinson was a Mississippi High School All-Star midfielder at St. Andrew's Episcopal in Madison, while McVey served as team captain and defensive MVP at Jackson Prep.
After an outstanding first week of workouts, McVey, however, tore her right ACL Friday in practice and is expected to miss the upcoming season with that injury.
Ole Miss' preseason includes an exhibition match with Oklahoma Saturday at noon at Burns Park Soccer Complex in North Little Rock, Ark. The Rebels open the 2003 campaign on Aug. 29 against South Alabama as part of a six-game homestand. Game time with USA is 7 p.m. CST at Ole Miss Soccer Stadium.
