The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Announces 2004 Soccer Schedule
4/28/2004 | Soccer
April 28, 2004
OXFORD, Miss. - In its drive for a third straight NCAA Tournament berth, the Ole Miss soccer team faces its toughest test to date in its 2004 schedule, with 10 of the 19 matches on the road including six of its final seven Southeastern Conference bouts.
The Rebels, who were 28th in the nation and fourth in the SEC in RPI a year ago, take on a total of four teams that were rated in the final 2003 top-25 rankings.
The 2004 home slate kicks off with Northwestern State Friday, Aug. 27 in the season opener, followed by Middle Tennessee, Memphis and Arkansas-Little Rock. In SEC play, the Rebels host NCAA Tournament teams Georgia and Tennessee, who advanced to the Sweet 16, as well as LSU, Arkansas and Kentucky.
Ole Miss placed 18th in the country and third in the SEC in total home attendance a year ago and posted an average crowd of 646 per match at Ole Miss Soccer Stadium. The Rebels look to continue their outstanding tradition of fan support with their 2004 season ticket packages.
Family passes, which allow entrance for four family members to each game, are available for $100, while individual adult season passes are $40. E-cards will be issued to anyone who purchases a season pass. Individual game tickets are available at a cost of $5 for adults and $2 for students 18 and under. Admission for Ole Miss students is free with a valid student ID.
To purchase season tickets, contact the Ole Miss ticket office at 662-915-7167 or 888-732-8587, toll-free in the state.
Ole Miss' most daunting challenge of the upcoming campaign will come away from Oxford, where the Rebels face four teams that reached the NCAAs last year and three that finished ranked in the nation's top 25.
In non-conference action, Ole Miss hits the road for Wake Forest, Kansas and Saint Louis, all of which posted winning records a year ago. The Demon Deacons have made eight straight NCAA tourney appearances, while the Jayhawks reached the Sweet 16 last season and were tabbed as high as 11th in the final polls.
After opening the SEC schedule with four straight at home, the Rebels conclude the regular season with six of their last seven on the road, including Florida, who finished No. 8 in the nation, and Auburn, who closed out at No. 16. The Gators ousted the Rebels in the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament 4-3 in double-overtime.
Ole Miss also travels to Alabama, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State, with the Magnolia Cup up for grabs.
This season marks the first in which all 11 SEC teams square off in the regular season. The league's top eight will advance to the SEC Tournament, which will be held in Orange Beach, Ala., for the second straight season. The Rebels are the only Western Division team to have made the conference tourney the past seven years, and have reached the semi-finals three of the last five years.
The NCAA Tournament begins Nov. 12 at campus sites and will conclude with the Women's College Cup, Dec. 3-5 in Cary, N.C.
"This fall will be big for us as we will have the best senior class ever to play at Ole Miss," said Rebel head coach Steve Holeman, who has been with the program since its inception in 1994. "We feel very good about our non-conference schedule with Kansas and Wake Forest as the highlight.They will present us with a great challenge as we play both of them on the road.
"Overall, this fall's schedule will be the strongest and most competitive we have faced, but we will be ready for it."
Since 1999, the Rebels have claimed two SEC Western Division titles and a pair of NCAA Tournament bids. Last season, Ole Miss nailed down its first Tournament victory, knocking off Texas 1-0 in the opening round. With a 15-6-2 mark, Ole Miss recorded its most single-season wins and finished top four in the SEC overall for the second straight year. The Rebels spent five weeks ranked in the top 25 and rose as high as No. 21 in the national polls.
The Rebels graduate only three starters from that squad and regain 2002 All-SEC first team forward Kelly Renie and 2002 team defensive MVP Lyndsey Williams, both of whom missed the fall with torn ACLs.
2004 OLE MISS SOCCER SCHEDULE
Aug. 27 Northwestern State Oxford, Miss. 7 p.m.Aug. 29 Middle Tennessee State Oxford, Miss. 1 p.m.Aug. 31 Memphis Oxford, Miss. 7 p.m.Sept. 3 at UNC-Charlotte Charlotte, N.C. 6:30 p.m.Sept. 5 vs. Wake Forest Charlotte, N.C. NoonSept. 10 Arkansas-Little Rock Oxford, Miss. 7 p.m.Sept. 17 at Kansas Lawrence, Kan. 5 p.m.Sept. 19 at Saint Louis St. Louis, Mo. 1 p.m.Sept. 24 *Georgia Oxford, Miss. 7 p.m.Sept. 26 *Tennessee Oxford, Miss. 1 p.m.Oct. 1 *LSU Oxford, Miss. 7 p.m.Oct. 3 *Arkansas Oxford, Miss. 1 p.m.Oct. 8 *at Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala. 7 p.m.Oct. 10 *at Auburn Auburn, Ala. 1 p.m.Oct. 15 *at South Carolina Columbia, S.C. 6 p.m.Oct. 17 *at Florida Gainesville, Fla. NoonOct. 22 *Kentucky Oxford, Miss. 7 p.m.Oct. 24 *at Vanderbilt Nashville, Tenn. 2:30 p.m.Oct. 29 *at Mississippi State Starkville, Miss. 7 p.m.Nov. 3-7 SEC Tournament Orange Beach, Ala.Nov. 12-14 NCAA First & Second Rounds Campus SitesNov. 19-21 NCAA Third Round Campus SitesNov. 26-28 NCAA Quarterfinals Campus SitesDec. 3-5 NCAA Women's College Cup Cary, N.C.* SEC Matches
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