The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Continue Soccer Homestand This Weekend
9/4/2003 | Soccer
Sept. 4, 2003
OXFORD, Miss. - Off to a 2-0 start on the soccer field, Ole Miss continues its six-game, season-opening homestand this weekend against FIU, Friday at 7 p.m. CT, and Southwest Missouri State, Sunday at 1 p.m. at Ole Miss Soccer Stadium.
The Rebels turned in an impressive opening weekend to the new campaign, pummeling South Alabama, 6-0, and Memphis, 7-0. Thirteen Rebels earned a point (by goal or an assist), and redshirt-freshman Brittney Potts came off the bench for a team-high seven points. The forward from Franklin, Tenn., posted her first career two-assist game vs. the Jaguars and her first two-goal outing against the Tigers.
Freshman Ashley Ferree collected two goals in her first collegiate weekend, while Kristal Menard and Erin Edmundson tallied two assists apiece.
Sophomore Kelly Renie notched her sixth career multiple-goal performance against USA but went down with a torn right ACL 28:18 into the Memphis match and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. The All-SEC first team forward missed her true freshman season in 2001 with the same injury to her left leg, and it marks the eighth time over the last three years that the Rebels have lost a player to a ruptured ACL.
FIU will be in search of its first victory of the year Friday, having suffered a 4-0 shutout at Jacksonville in the opener last weekend. Head coach Everton Edwards is entering his 19th season running the Golden Panther program, but coming off a 2-13-2 season. The young FIU squad retains only 10 letterwinners from that team while adding 15 newcomers.
Southwest Missouri State could also be looking for 2003 victory No. 1 after an 0-1-1 opening weekend. SMS brings a wealth of experience into the young season, returning 20 of 24 players from last year's 8-7-3 squad, which nearly upset the Rebels in Springfield.
Trailing 3-1 with 12 minutes remaining in regulation, the Bears rallied for two quick scores to tie the match in the 83rd minute. A Renie goal with 43 seconds left provided the Rebels the dramatic 4-3 victory.
Junior forward Karen Hall totaled two goals and an assist in last year's battle en route to earning SEC Player of the Week accolades.
Ole Miss has won all four previous meetings with Southwest, while the Rebels and Panthers will be facing off for the first time.
"We don't know a lot about FIU, so we need to be mentally and physically prepared to play our best," said Ole Miss head coach Steve Holeman. "Southwest Missouri State is a perfect example of a team that works hard and competes every time out. They took us to the limit last year. We know we have to put together a solid 90 minutes against them.
"I want to see us improve. We need to become a better team every game out."
The Ole Miss soccer radio broadcast will make its debut this weekend, as the University's student station, Rebel Radio 92.1 FM (WUMS), plans to air the remainder of the home schedule, beginning with Friday's FIU match. The radio broadcast will also be available online at www.OleMissSports.com.
