Ole Miss Hosts Kentucky Friday Night in Soccer Home Finale

Oct. 21, 2004

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OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss hosts Kentucky Friday in the final home soccer match of the season. Game time is set for 7 p.m. CT, and Senior Night ceremonies will be held prior to kickoff.

The Rebels will be honoring one of the most successful classes in school history. In its time in the Red and Blue, the ensemble of Leigh Barrow, Lindley Beckman, Karen Hall, Kristal Menard, Laura Price and Ramey Rush has helped Ole Miss reach its first NCAA Tournament, earn its first Tournament win, post its highest single-season win percentage in 2002 and set a season record for victories in 2003.

"This senior class easily ranks as one of the best we've ever had," said Rebel head coach Steve Holeman. "This is a very special group of people, and they have taken this program to a new level. They have been very successful both on and off the field, and have left their mark on Ole Miss soccer forever."

Coming off an undefeated road weekend that included a 1-0 shutout at South Carolina and a scoreless tie at No. 12 Florida, the Rebels (7-8-1, 3-4-1 SEC) sit sixth in the race for the SEC Tournament, which the top eight league teams will be traveling to Nov. 4-7 in the newly appointed locale of Auburn, Ala. The original site in Orange Beach, Ala., was unable to host after the extensive damage from Hurricane Ivan.

Ole Miss, Kentucky and Mississippi State presently occupy the final three Tournament spots, all with a 3-4-1 league mark. The Rebels, who have made a Western Division-best seven straight SEC tourney appearances, wrap up the regular season with a crucial stretch, taking on the Wildcats Friday, the currently fourth-place Vanderbilt Commodores Sunday in Nashville (2:30 p.m. CT) and the rival MSU Bulldogs on Oct. 29 in Starkville.

"We can control our destiny," Holeman said. "We couldn't have asked for a better situation than to play the teams we are tied with. We just need to play one game at a time."

Kentucky (6-8-1, 3-4-1 SEC) was held scoreless last weekend in road losses at Georgia and Tennessee. The Cats registered 13 shots but failed to dent the net in a 2-0 loss to the Bulldogs, while a superb defensive effort was ruined by a last-second game-winning goal by the sixth-ranked Lady Vols.

UK forward Elisabeth Jones is among the conference leaders in assists with six, while Alli Haeussler and Jen Weakley share the team-lead in goals with four.

In a series in which all but one match has been determined by a one-goal margin, the Kats hold a 6-2 advantage, although the teams have split their last four matches. Ole Miss prevailed 2-1 in the only meeting last year in the SEC Tournament in Orange Beach. In 2002, it was the Big Blue that bounced the host Rebels from the conference tourney in Oxford.

"Kentucky is another team that is a lot better than their record," said Holeman. "We have had some very close matches over the years. I know our team would like to avenge the SEC Tournament loss here two years ago. This would be a special win for our seniors, especially Kristal and Lindley."

Menard and Beckman sisters Lindley and Hillary all hail from the Bluegrass State, giving the Rebels as many Kentuckians on roster as the Wildcats.

Vanderbilt (4-6-4, 3-2-3 SEC) knocked off Georgia 4-2 Sunday in the Commodores' first SEC bout of the year to not be decided by a single goal. Four of the Dores' eight conference games have reached double-overtime, with Vanderbilt going 1-0-3.

The Rebels' last two encounters with the Commodores also required double OT. Their last faceoff in 2002 in Nashville ended in a 0-0 tie, while the 2001 battle in Oxford was won by Ole Miss on a Karen Hall goal in the 119th minute. Vanderbilt leads the series 3-1-1.

This year's VU attack is headed by midfielder Meghan Habig's six goals and forward Lea Lafield's seven assists. Dore goalkeeper Tyler Griffin tops the SEC in saves per game (6.20) and ranks second in save percentage (.838).

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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