Rebels Have Successful Opening Weekend Of Spring Soccer

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Despite a shortened roster following the graduation of seven seniors from the 2008 squad, Ole Miss produced a pair of quality results in its spring soccer exhibition season debut this past weekend.

In the first game on Saturday, the Rebels played to a 0-0 draw with an Oklahoma State side that ranked as high as No. 7 in the nation this past season. In cold and rainy conditions, the teams played 35-minute halves and Rebel goalkeepers Alley Ronaldi and Jackie DeNova split time for the combined shutout.

“Our girls came out really hard and played with a lot of energy,” said head coach Steve Holeman. “They competed for 70 minutes and did well to keep one of the top scoring offenses in the country off the scoreboard.  Oklahoma State is a great team and it was a good result to start our spring season.”

Just three hours after that physical match ended, Ole Miss was back on the pitch to face an Arkansas State team that only played once on the day. The result: a 4-0 Rebel win.

Kelsey Breathitt scored off a Hannah Weatherly assist to put Ole Miss ahead 1-0 before halftime. After the break, the Rebel offense really got going with goals by Abbie Curran (Weatherly assist), Mallory Coleman (off a corner kick) and Sofia Lindell (Taylor Cunningham assist). The combination of DeNova and Ronaldi again pitched a shutout between the posts.

“The big challenge in our second game was to play a team who was fresh after we fought against a very strong OSU team just three hours earlier,” Holeman said. “We did a nice job of keeping the ball, creating opportunities and finishing our chances. Overall, it was a great weekend to build on for the remainder of the spring.”

Ole Miss travels to Austin, Texas, this weekend to face Texas State and the hosting Texas Longhorns. Both matches are on Saturday.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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