Ole Miss Soccer Makes Home Debut Friday Versus Memphis

OXFORD, Miss. After kicking off the 2008 season with an exhibition match and three straight regular-season contests on the road, Ole Miss will finally make its home debut on Friday with a 7 p.m. start versus Memphis at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium.

Kroger of Oxford is sponsoring the “Kroger Family Welcome Party” on opening night. Fans will be treated to complimentary hot dogs, and there will be a bounce tent for kids, along with music and games throughout the evening.

“It’s going to be great to be at home,” said Rebel head coach Steve Holeman. “We’ve been on the road three straight weekends, and the girls are definitely excited not to have to travel. It’s a home opener we’re really looking forward to with Memphis. They beat us last year at their place, and our girls are motivated to play against them. They have a quality program. Last year they won Conference USA and went to the NCAA Tournament. It’s a huge challenge for us, but our girls are ready.”

The Rebels (0-1-2) enter the weekend looking for their first win of the season after producing a pair of 2-2 ties against regionally ranked SMU and TCU in Dallas last weekend. Both games featured clutch goal scoring and big-time goalkeeper saves, and Holeman believes his players are due for a victory.

“We would have never imagined we would be three games in without our first win,” he said. “We’re playing great soccer, though. We’ve played quality opponents. We had tremendous effort throughout both games last weekend, and unfortunately we didn’t get a win. Our team feels confident, and now we just need the reward of getting that win.”

Jennifer Hance leads the Rebel attack with a pair of goals, while four total Rebels have already notched a score, including freshmen Abbie Curran and Meredith Snow.

Memphis comes in with a 1-0-1 record and ranked 11th in the Central Region. The regional rivalry between the Tigers and Rebels has reached an all-time high after Memphis earned a 1-0 victory last season. Ole Miss still leads the series 7-3-1. Friday’s match will be the first Rebel home opener played against Memphis, and Ole Miss owns an 11-1-1 mark all-time in home openers.

The Rebels will bounce right back with a 2 p.m. Sunday matchup with Southern Miss, which is off to a 3-0 start to its season. The Golden Eagles captured the inaugural Bulldog Invitational title in Starkville over the weekend and will host Troy in their home opener on Wednesday, albeit not at home. The teams will play on the artificial turf at Hattiesburg High School due to unplayable conditions at the Southern Miss Soccer Complex thanks to Hurricane Gustav.

“We have to be ready after a battle on Friday night to turn around two days later and play a tough match on Sunday,” Holeman said. “Southern Miss is undefeated and has a new coach (Scott Ebke) who has brought a lot of excitement to the program. He’s obviously done a great job so far. It’s going to be a big challenge for us.”

Ole Miss is a perfect 6-0 all-time versus Southern Miss.

Rebel fans are encouraged to bring their children to Sunday’s match for “Take a Kid to the Game” Day. Children receive free admission with the purchase of an adult ticket. Ole Miss players will also hold an autograph session following the match. For those unable to attend, the game will be streamed live on RebelVision. Click here to sign up and watch.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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