The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Clash with Tigers in SEC Battle
10/1/2015 | Soccer
MATCHUP: (RV) Ole Miss (8-2-2, 2-2-0 SEC) at Missouri (4-3-4, 2-1-1 SEC)
Date: October 2, 2015
Location: Columbia, Mo.
Venue: Audrey J. Walton Soccer Stadium
Capacity: 2,500
Television: SEC Network+
Live Stats: OleMissSports.com
Series: Ole Miss leads 2-1-1
Last Game: Draw, 2-2
Oxford, Miss.
Oct. 24, 2014
KICKERS
- Ole Miss protected its home pitch with a pair of victories over SEC foes Alabama and LSU last weekend
- The Rebels are No. 33 in the RPI and are also receiving votes in the NSCAA national poll
- The 3-2 win over Alabama was the first time in program history that Ole Miss has rallied from a two-goal halftime deficit to win
- CeCe Kizer scored versus Alabama for her sixth game winner of the season, a mark that leads the nation
- Kizer's 10 goals, which rank third in the SEC, are also the most scored by an Ole Miss freshman since Kelly Renie recorded 18 goals during the 2002 season.
- Junior Addie Forbus scored two goals and added an assist to lead the offensive attack over the weekend
- Forbus now has eight goals and 19 points this season, ranking fourth and fifth, respectively, in the SEC
- Sophomore defender Liza Harbin scored the equalizer versus Alabama for the first goal of her career
- The Rebels became the first team to shut out LSU this season in a dominating 2-0 victory
- Goalkeeper Marnie Merritt made five saves to record her third individual shutout of the 2015 campaign
- The Rebels pitched a shutout for the final 138 minutes of the weekend and now have five shutouts in 2015
- In his sixth season, Matthew Mott is averaging at least 10 wins per season
- Ole Miss is currently riding a three-game winning streak, tying a season high
MEETING MIZZOU
The Missouri Wildcats are currently sitting at a 4-3-4 (2-1-1 SEC) record heading into Friday night's game against the Rebels. Friday's 6:30 p.m. kickoff in Columbia will be the fifth meeting between the two teams. Ole Miss and Mizzou's last matchup resulted in a 2-2 draw on the Rebels' home pitch in 2014. Mizzou has faced a tough schedule in 2015 and comes in at No. 34 in the RPI, just one spot below the Rebels. Freshman goalkeeper, Kelsey Dossey, has been a critical piece for the Tigers this season. Dossey currently ranks second in the conference in goals against average (0.52) and also ranks third in the conference in save percentage (.810). Through 11 games this season, Mizzou has allowed only nine goals. The Tigers are coming off of a 3-1 win against No. 9 Kentucky and a 1-1 draw with Mississippi State after a double overtime battle. Head coach for Missouri is Bryan Blitz, who enters his 20th season leading the Tigers.
RUSSELL VS. RUSSELL
When the Rebels and Tigers take the pitch Friday night for an SEC battle, two family members will also be squaring off against one another. Second cousins Georgia Russell and Reagan Russell will find themselves on opposing sides during the conference match. For Ole Miss, Georgia Russell has played in 11 games, including a pair of starts. Reagan Russell has also seen action in 11 contests for Mizzou, starting nine games as part of the Tigers' offensive attack.
MOTT MARKS 60TH VICTORY
With an impressive weekend that included two consecutive wins for the Rebels, head coach Matthew Mott recorded his 60th win with the Ole Miss soccer team. The Rebels defeated two conference foes, Alabama and LSU, on the home pitch to secure the 60th victory for Coach Mott. Ole Miss marked a come from behind 3-2 win against Alabama on Friday, followed by a 2-0 shutout against the Tigers on Sunday. The two weekend wins are the first time in Coach Mott's six years that the Rebels have posted two SEC wins in one weekend at home. In his sixth season at the help of the Ole Miss soccer program, Mott is now averaging at least 10 wins per season.
COMEBACK FOR THE RECORD BOOKS
On Friday night, the Rebels took to the home pitch to face off against the Crimson Tide. Alabama attacked early and scored two first half goals to claim a 2-0 advantage. Ole Miss retreated to the locker room at halftime unwilling to accept defeat. The Rebels responded in the second half, scoring three goals in 17 minutes to take the game into their own hands. Addie Forbus started the rally by scoring just 17 seconds into the second half for her seventh goal of the season. Sophomore Liza Harbin scored the first goal of her career in the 57th minute to give the Rebels the equalizer. Shortly after, freshman standout CeCe Kizer scored her 10th goal, and sixth game-winner, of the season. Goalkeeper Marnie Merritt held strong for the Rebels, marking four saves on the night. The comeback victory marked the first time in program history Ole Mis earned a win after a two-goal halftime deficit.
BACKLINE STRONG AND STEADY
Fellow senior Jessica Hiskey's primary roll has been midfield, though she moved to the backline to help her team last weekend. Hiskey played her center back position to perfection against Alabama in the second half, helping to anchor the defense and limiting the Crimson Tide's shots. On Sunday, Hiskey started in the same spot and led the Ole Miss backline in becoming the first team to shutout a dangerous LSU team this season. The Rebels also limited the Tigers to just seven shots in 90 minutes. Liza Harbin, Maddie Friedmann, Danielle Gray and Lize Harbin also played a crucial role in anchoring the defense for Ole Miss. The Rebels have now posted five clean sheets this season, with three individual shutouts being credited to redshirt-freshman goalkeeper Marnie Merritt. The total saves marked by the Rebels rank fifth in the conference.
KIZER ROLLING
The Rebels are now 8-2-2 overall on the 2015 campaign behind the goal scoring of freshman CeCe Kizer. The fast forward's six game-winning goals give her the top mark in the nation. Kizer scored her sixth game-winning goal of the season in the 3-2 comeback thriller against SEC foe Alabama last Friday. The matchup against Memphis on Sept. 20 also marked the second multi-goal game of Kizer's young career, and with a total of 10 goals she ranks third in the SEC. Kizer's 10 goals are also the most scored by an Ole Miss freshman since Kelly Renie recorded 18 goals during the 2002 season.
FORWARDS ON THE ATTACK
With 27 goals in 12 games, Ole Miss ranks fourth in the SEC. A large part of the scoring success can be credited to a pair of forwards in junior Addie Forbus and freshman CeCe Kizer. Kizer paces the Rebels with 10 goals, while Forbus has found the back of the net eight times. Combining for 18 goals this season, the dynamic duo has been a major factor to the Rebels' early success. Kizer's ten goals give her 20 points on the 2015 campaign, which is third in the conference. Along with her eight goals, Forbus has added three assists for a total of 19 points, placing her fifth in the SEC. Forbus and Kizer combine to be the third-highest scoring pair in the nation.
SUCCESS AT HOME
The Rebels have seen their fair share of success on the home pitch over the history of the program with a 112-44-17 all-time record at Ole Miss Soccer Stadium. Following a pair of victories over SEC opponents Alabama and LSU, Ole Miss boasts a 7-1-1 mark at home this season. The Rebels boast a 38-14-10 all-time record at home during the Matthew Mott era.
NEW KEEPER, NO PROBLEM
Losing Kelly McCormick to graduation, the Rebels entered 2015 needing to fill the shoes of the record-breaking goalkeeper. Enter redshirt freshman Marnie Merritt. She has been an anchor in the goal for the Rebels so far this season. With Merritt getting the starts and playing the majority of the minutes, the Ole Miss backline pitched four shutouts through the first six games of the season. Merritt has earned the victory in goal in each of the last three games, and she also has posted three indivudla shutouts throughout the 2015 campaign thus far. Merritt also made a career-high eight saves at No. 11 Florida. Last Sunday, Merritt also helped blank a tough LSU team, leaving the Tigers scoreless for the first time this season.
ON THE HORIZON
The Rebels will remain on the road to face Arkansas next Friday night at 7 p.m. Following back-to-back road trips, Ole Miss will take the home pitch on Sunday evening against South Carolina at 7 p.m. As usual, fans can catch all of the Rebels' home games on SEC Network+.
