The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Soccer Season Kicks Off This Weekend
8/25/2005 | Soccer
Aug. 25, 2005
| OleMissSports.tv Broadcast
OXFORD, Miss. - The 2005 soccer season kicks off this weekend as the Ole Miss Rebels host visiting Tennessee Tech on Friday at 7 p.m. and Iowa State on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The first 250 fans on Friday will be treated to free hot dogs as part of "Kroger Family Night," while Sunday is "Ole Miss Student Appreciation Day" in which the first 100 students at the game will receive an insulated six-pack cooler. Student admission is free with an Ole Miss ID, while tickets for adults are $5 and for students ages 18 and under are $2. For more ticket information, contact the Ole Miss ticket office at 662-915-7167.
Rebel head coach Steve Holeman is eager to see what his talented team can accomplish this fall.
"This is a highly anticipated season," said the 11th-year Ole Miss coach and only head soccer coach in school history. "We've had one of our best preseasons ever, and I don't think it's going to be very difficult to get motivated for the home opener."
Ole Miss returns 13 letterwinners, including eight starters, to a club that finished 9-10-2 a year ago, but advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the third time in four years after defeating nationally-ranked No. 9 and second-seeded host Auburn 3-0.
The Rebels will look to seniors Hillary Beckman and Kelly Renie and juniors Brittney Potts and Lyndsey Williams for leadership and strong play this year. Beckman is a team captain and midfielder who has played in every match of her career. She is the leader of the club, according to Holeman.
The trio of Renie, Potts and Williams combines experience with production, as all three have earned All-SEC honors in their careers. The two forwards, Renie and Potts, rank fifth and ninth in career goals scored at Ole Miss with 28 and 17, respectively. Williams, a defender, is the other team captain and has earned Team Defensive MVP in both of her full seasons of play.
The season opening match-up versus Tennessee Tech features an Ohio Valley Conference team that was 7-6-4 last year and returns 17 letterwinners, including senior forward Jill Burns, who is the Golden Eagles' career leader in goals scored. They are coached by second-year head coach Carrie Proost.
The Golden Eagles and Rebels have matched up once before, in an 8-0 Rebel blowout on Oct. 31, 1997, marking Tech's worst loss in school history. Ole Miss is 3-0 all-time versus schools in the OVC.
"Tennessee Tech is coming to beat us," Holeman said. "They are going to be very prepared and highly motivated."
On Sunday, the Rebels will square off with Big 12 member Iowa State. The Cyclones are coming off an 8-12-0 season which took them to a Big 12 Tournament appearance. They return 13 letterwinners and seven starters from last year's club, including preseason All-Big 12 sophomore goalkeeper Joanna Haig.
The Rebels have also faced the Cyclones once before when they defeated Iowa State 7-0 back in Ole Miss' inaugural season of 1995. ISU takes on Mississippi State Friday in Starkville.
"The Big 12 is one of the top soccer conferences in the nation," Holeman said. "Iowa State is used to playing very talented teams with good competition. They will be ready to play us, and I know they would like to sweep the state of Mississippi while they're down here."
