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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Soccer First In SEC West Heading Into Weekend
10/13/2005 | Soccer
Oct. 13, 2005
OXFORD, Miss. - Sitting two games in front of Auburn atop the Southeastern Conference's Western Division standings, the Ole Miss soccer team (11-3, 5-1 SEC) will host the South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday at 7 p.m. and the No. 11 Florida Gators on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium.
After shutting out Alabama and Auburn last weekend, the Rebels are riding a four-game winning streak, all by shutout.
"This is yet another crucial weekend in the SEC," said head coach Steve Holeman, who has the Rebels off to their best start in conference play in the 11-year history of the program. "Last weekend, we knew it would be a great battle against Western Division opponents. Now we are in the driver's seat in the West and we just have to continue to be successful to maintain our lead. We are only half of the way through conference play, so we need to continue to take it one game at a time and take care of our business."
Ole Miss has been led all season by its strong defense. The Rebels have only allowed seven goals this season, which is the second-best mark in the SEC behind Vanderbilt. The Rebels lead the SEC with only one goal surrendered in conference play.
Junior defender Lyndsey Williams anchors the Ole Miss backfield, and was honored for her play against Alabama and Auburn by being named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week and was named to the Soccer Buzz Elite Team of the Week nationally.
The Rebel goalkeepers have done their part by letting so few opponents' shots reach the net. Sophomores Ann Shelton and Megan Vickery are ranked first and fourth in the conference in goals against average with marks of 0.27 and 0.75, respectively. Shelton's average currently ranks her third in the NCAA.
Ole Miss' balanced offensive attack is led by freshman Jennifer Hance's six goals, including four game-winning goals (three in SEC play). Sophomore Chrissy Strini leads the club with six assists and 16 points. Eight different Rebels have scored a goal this season.
South Carolina comes to Oxford with a 5-8 overall record, including 1-5 in the SEC. They most recently were defeated by Kentucky 2-1 in double overtime. The Gamecocks are led by a quartet of players with three goals on the season in Jessi Swaim, Darcel Mollon, Ashley Kirk and Alex Mouton.
The Rebels will try to even up their all-time mark against South Carolina, which currently sits at 2-3-1. Ole Miss won last year's matchup 1-0 in Columbia.
"South Carolina is a great team, despite their record," Holeman said. "I never like to use an opponent's record as an indicator of their quality. They have lost several close matches. They are competitive and well-coached. We know we have to be at our best to beat anybody in the SEC."
Sunday's match against the No. 11 Florida Gators will be one of the toughest draws for the Rebels this year. Florida has a record of 9-3-1 on the season, including 4-1-1 in conference play. All three losses came against nationally ranked opponents in Notre Dame, Florida State and Tennessee. The Gators tied Alabama 2-2 on Sept. 23.
Ole Miss is 0-9-1 all-time against the Gators, but did manage the first tie in the series last year with a scoreless draw in Gainesville. The Rebels fell to Florida in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament last season at Auburn.
"The girls know that we've never beaten Florida," Holeman said. "I think we have gained some ground in the rivalry, but one of our goals this year is to beat Florida. They are one of the most athletic and talented teams in the SEC, so it will be a difficult task, and we will need to be at our very best."
The first 100 fans at the South Carolina match will receive a complimentary spirit foam hand courtesy of Rebel Sports Marketing. The Florida game has a special treat for one lucky fan. One fan will be selected to receive a year's supply of Coca-Cola. In addition, anyone who brings their ticket stub from Saturday's football game against Alabama will receive a $2 discount off of admission to Sunday's match.