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The University of Mississippi Athletics
No. 12 Rebels Host Vanderbilt on Senior Night
10/28/2015 | Soccer
MATCHUP: No. 12 Ole Miss (13-3-2, 7-3-0 SEC) vs. Vanderbilt (7-7-4, 3-4-3 SEC)
Date: October 29, 2015
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Ole Miss Soccer Soccer Stadium
Capacity: 1,500
Television: SEC Network+
Richard Cross, play-by-play
Ian Banner/Holly Hansarling, analysts
Live Stats:
Series: Ole Miss leads 6-5-5
Last Game: Ole Miss won, 2-1
Nashville, Tenn.
Oct. 30, 2014
PROMOTIONS
Trick and Treat Night - Bring a costume and your best soccer moves for a special halftime contest for kids of all ages!
Trunk or Treat Night - Bring your best costumes, enjoy carnival games, and support the soccer team during senior night!
Win Justin Moore Concert Tickets - Fans in attendance will have a chance to win tickets to the Nov. 6 concert featuring country music superstar Justin Moore!
KICKERS
- Ole Miss is ranked No. 12 in the NSCAA poll, the highest ranking in school history
- The win over Tennessee was the Rebels' first against the Lady Vols since 2003
- Ole Miss ended Texas A&M's 17-game home unbeaten streak, dating back to last season
- Freshman CeCe Kizer scored three goals in the two games to pace the offensive attack last weekend
- For her performance, Kizer was named ESPNW National Player of the Week, SEC Freshman of the Week and Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Week
- Kizer leads Rebels with 14 goals and 29 points this season; both rank second overall in the SEC
- Kizer's 14 goals in one season are the most by a freshman in the nation, the third-most by a freshman in school history as well as the eight-most by any Rebel in a single season
- The duo of Kizer and Addie Forbus has combined to score 25 of the Rebels' 40 goals this season.
- Ole Miss has won eight of its past nine games, including five straight for a season-high winning streak
- After being picked to finish 10th in the preseason poll, Ole Miss is just one point behind Florida and Mizzou for the conference regular season title with one game remaining
- The seven victories in SEC play are the second-most conference wins in program history, tying marks recorded during the 2009 and 2013 seasons
- Ole Miss has guaranteed itself at least the No. 3 seed in the upcoming SEC Tournament.
SCOUTING VANDY
In his first season as head coach of the Commodores, Darren Ambrose has coached Vanderbilt to their current 7-7-4 (3-4-3 SEC) record. Vanderbilt is looking to fight its way into the top 10 of the conference in order to reach the SEC Tournament in Orange Beach, Ala. Last weekend, the Commodores went 0-2, falling to Georgia on Friday and then Missouri Sunday. Vanderbilt is led on the attack by junior forward Simone Charley. Charley has tallied five goals and four assists this season, backed closely by redshirt sophomore Lydia Simmons who has four goals in 2015. Goalkeeper Christiana Ogunsami has protected the net for the Commodores with an impressive 79 saves and five shutouts on the year. The last time the two SEC opponents faced off, Ole Miss posted a 2-1 win in Nashville. The all-time record gives the Rebels a slight 6-5-5 advantage over the Commodores.
CELEBRATING THE SENIORS
The seven-member senior class will be honored on the field prior to the start of Thursday night's game. These seniors have meant so much to the Ole Miss soccer program over the last four seasons, compiling a record of 50-24-9 and winning nearly 66 percent of their games. As sophomores, these Rebels helped Ole Miss win a program-record 16 games during the 2013 season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. With 50 victories over four years, this senior class is one win away from tying the most wins by a class in school history. Below are brief highlights for each senior Rebel.
Bethany Bunker: Bunker has appeared in 80 games over her four-year career, starting 72 of them. The Memphis, Tennessee native has played over 5,400 minutes as a Rebel, scoring nine goals to go along with 14 assists. As a sophomore, she finished fourth on the team with six goals scored and was second on the team with seven assists, serving as a dynamic threat up front. This season, Bunker has started in 15 games as part of the offensive attack. She scored the game-winning goal against No. 10 Auburn nearly two weeks ago. Bunker has also achieved success in the classroom, posting a 3.88 GPA as an exercise science major. She has earned a spot on the honor roll at Ole Miss each semester and is also a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection.
Maddie Friedmann: Throughout her Ole Miss career, Friedmann has started in 76 of the 77 games she has played in. The Saint Louis, Missouri native started in every game her first three years as a Rebel, totaling 65 consecutive games. Overall, Friedmann has played nearly 7,000 minutes on the pitch. As a key to the backline, she has led Ole Miss to 28 shutouts over the last four years. She started out her senior season injured, but she immediately made an impact upon returning to the field. Against Arkansas, Friedmann scored the game-winning goal with one second left in double overtime. She followed that performance up by helping the Rebels shut out No. 10 South Carolina and earning SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors. Friedmann excels academically as well with a 3.92 GPA as journalism major with a minor in psychology. She is a three-time academic honoree by the SEC and a two-time Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District selection.
Olivia Harrison: Harrison is another Rebel who made an immediate impact once she arrived at Ole Miss. The Collierville, Tennessee native has played 4,700 minutes in 78 games. In her first three seasons as a Rebel, Harrison made a total of 54 starts as part of the offensive attack. She has scored 21 goals in her memorable career, including seven last season, which tied a team best. The 2014 season included Harrison recording a hat trick versus Minnesota, scoring all three goals to lead Ole Miss to a 3-2 double overtime victory. During the 2013 season, Harrison tallied seven goals while also dishing out eight assists, the eighth most in a single season in program history. As a hospitality management major, Harrison has held a 3.53 cumulative GPA while at Ole Miss. She is a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and made the honor roll in several semesters on campus.
Jessica Hiskey: A team captain for the second straight season, Hiskey will be playing in her 75th game as a Rebel tomorrow night, and it will also mark her 70th start. The Franklin, Tennessee native has started every game as a freshman, junior and senior, which includes a current streak of 50 straight starts and totals over 6,500 minutes. Throughout her ole miss career, Hiskey has made a major impact on both sides of the pitch. She has been a part of the backline for 24 shutouts in her four-year career. Offensively, she scored six goals as a junior to assist the Rebel attack. This season, Hiskey has started all 18 games as a midfielder and center back. Since moving to the backline, the Rebels have won six of their last seven games, allowing only five goals during that stretch and posting four shutouts. Appearing on the honor roll each semester and earning academic accolades from the SEC and CoSIDA, Hiskey holds a 3.92 GPA as a chemistry major with a minor in psychology.
Jennifer Miller: Miller is in her second season as a team captain, and she has been the glue in the midfield for the Ole Miss attack. The Saint Louis, Missouri native will be making her 67th start tonight as well as playing in her 77th career game. Totaling nearly 6,000 minutes on the field, Miller has recorded eight goals and 10 assists as a Rebel. She scored four goals as a sophomore to help Ole Miss chalk up the most wins in a single season in school history. This season, Miller has started all 18 games and has passed out six assists throughout the season, orchestrating the offense. Miller collected SEC academic honors in each of the last three years before earning her bachelor's degree as a general studies major. She held a 3.84 GPA as an undergrad, making the honor roll every semester at Ole Miss. Continuing her studies, Miller is currently enrolled in the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy and will earn a degree in pharmaceutical sciences in May.
Georgia Russell: Russell has appeared in 47 games throughout her career, including 34 over the past two seasons. During her time as a Rebel, the Tupelo, Mississippi native has split time between the backline and the frontline. Russell has bounced back from injury both as a freshman and as a sophomore. In 2013, she helped Ole Miss pitch seven shutouts. This season, Russell scored the game-winning goal versus No. 10 South Carolina. Another Rebel who has made the honor roll every semester since arriving on campus, Russell is also a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. She even earned Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team honors in 2013. With a 3.79 GPA, Russell is pursuing a bachelor's degree as an accountancy major with a general finance minor.
Samantha Sanders: As a team captain for the past three seasons, Sanders has been a leader on and off the field throughout her career. The West Allis, Wisconsin native played in 66 games over a four-year span, starting in 63 of those contests. Sanders was a primary figure on the backline, helping the Rebels post 29 shutouts, nearly half of the games she started in. After tearing her ACL as a sophomore, Sanders bounced back and played in every match as a junior. She started off her senior season leading her team on the field before suffering another injury. However, Sanders has continued to be a backbone for the Rebels by providing support on the sideline. As an exercise science major, she excels in the classroom with a 3.91 GPA. She has made the honor roll here at Ole Miss and has been honored by the SEC each season for her academic success.
WIN STREAK
Ole Miss is currently riding a season-high five-game win streak after back-to-back road wins last weekend. The Rebels have also won seven of the last eight conference matches in the SEC gauntlet with the most recent win being a 4-3 victory over No. 19/23 Texas A&M in College Station, Texas on Sunday night.
ROAD REBELS
The Rebels took to the road and completed a sweep last weekend. The first victory came on Friday night against Tennessee. The Rebels produced a clean sheet against the Lady Vols, for a 2-0 victory. The win was the first time Ole Miss has defeated Tennessee in 12 matches, dating back to 2003. Two days later, Ole Miss took to the pitch again on Sunday night, this time in College Station, Texas. The Rebels and Aggies competed in a wild shootout that resulted in a 4-3 final in favor of Ole Miss. The Rebel win snapped a 17-game unbeaten streak for Texas A&M on Ellis Field.
KIZER TABBED SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Just like the victories for the Ole Miss soccer team, individual honors continue to pile up for the Rebels. The Southeastern Conference named CeCe Kizer SEC Freshman of the Week after leading the Rebels to a pair of conference road victories over the weekend. Kizer received the accolade for the second time this season after earning her first career weekly honor, Sept. 8. The freshman forward is also the fourth Rebel to collect an SEC weekly award in the past three weeks. Kizer scored three goals over the weekend to help Ole Miss defeat Tennessee and No. 19 Texas A&M. In the first game of the weekend, the Overland Park, Kansas native provided an insurance goal to secure a 2-0 victory for the Rebels' first win over the Lady Vols since 2003. On Sunday, Kizer scored two goals in a span of two minutes to propel No. 13 Ole Miss over No. 19 Texas A&M. She first found the back of the net for the equalizer before scoring the game winner two minutes later in the 71st minute. The pair of goals gave Kizer her seventh game-winning goal of the season as well as the third multi-goal game of her career. The Ole Miss performance also ended Texas A&M's 17-game home unbeaten streak. The accolades did not stop there for the Rebel freshman. ESPNW and Top Drawer Soccer also named Kizer the national player of the week for her solid weekend.
TWO GOALS FOR THE DUB
Recording a pair of goals has been a measuring stick to the outcomes of Ole Miss soccer matches. The Rebels are 12-1-1 on the year when scoring at least two goals in a match, including their last five games to produce a season-long winning streak. Ole Miss currently sits second in the SEC and 18th in the country in total goals (40), while fourth in the conference and 25th in the country in scoring offense.
SCORING EARLY
For the sixth time this season, the Rebels scored within the first five minutes of a match when Gretchen Harknett wasted no time putting the ball into the net in just the second minute of the game against Texas A&M on last Sunday night. On Sunday, Oct. 11, versus No. 10 South Carolina, Georgia Russell netted her first goal of the year. within the first five minutes of the match When the Rebels competed against Mizzou, Oct. 2, CeCe Kizer gave the Rebels a 1-0 lead just three minutes into the contest. Kizer notched a goal in the second minute against Austin Peay, and Danielle Gray also tallied an early goal after scoring against UCF, finding the back of the net in the third minute. Addie Forbus started the early scoring with a goal in the third minute against Boise State, the Rebels' second game of the season.
OLE MISS VERSUS RANKED OPPONENETS
Ole Miss has notched wins over two top-10 ranked teams this season, giving them an overall 3-2-1 record against ranked foes this year. The current record ties a program best for the Rebels. In 2005, Ole Miss posted a winning record against ranked opponents by also going 3-2-1.
RANKED REBELS
After another weekend sweep, the Rebels continued to surge in the polls. Ole Miss moved up one spot to No. 12 in the NSCAA poll and once again improved the highest ranking in school history. Before last week's No. 13 ranking, the team's highest ranking was Oct. 19, 2009 when the Rebels were No. 17 in the Soccer America poll. The Rebels have also climbed to 15th in the NCAA RPI and jumped 10 spots in the Top Drawer Soccer's rankings from No. 25 to No. 15.
FORBUS ON FIRE
Since beginning SEC play, Sept. 14, junior forward Addie Forbus has been on fire. Forbus has tallied a total of 11 goals on the season, with seven of those goals coming during conference play. Her seven goals in SEC matches are tied atop the conference. The 11 goals rank amongst the best in the conference (fourth) and her 28 points are third in the SEC. One of Forbus' notable strikes came Friday, Oct. 16, versus No. 10 Auburn. In the 49th minute, Jennifer Miller sent the ball into the corner to Gretchen Harknett, whose cross connected with the head of Forbus. The Ole Miss attacker redirected the shot on target and past the keeper, giving the Rebels what head coach Matthew Mott referred to as "one of the best goals we've scored all year." The most recent Forbus goal was scored in College Station against the Aggies when she sent the ball into the net on a left-footed strike on an assist from Olivia Harrison.
KIZER ROLLING
The Rebels are now 13-3-2 overall on the 2015 campaign behind the goal scoring of freshman CeCe Kizer. The fast forward's seven game-winning goals give her the top mark in conference, and rank third in the nation, while her goals per game (0.78) rank second in the conference. Kizer scored her most recent game-winning goal of the season in the 4-3 thriller against Texas A&M at Ellis Field when she scored two consecutive goals less than two minutes apart. The matchup against the Aggies also marked the third multi-goal game of Kizer's young career. Kizer has also tallied an impressive 14 goals so far on the season, which ranks eighth for most goals in a season in Ole Miss soccer history. Kizer's total goals are the most nationally for a freshman, followed by Jordan Mulnix of Lamar (12). For the week of Oct. 27, Kizer was named ESPNW National Player of the Week, SEC Freshman of the Week and Top Drawer Soccer's National Player of the Week after her impressive multi-goal game at Texas A&M.
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 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. Through her debut season, Merritt has pitched six individual shutouts, the eighth-most in a single season in program history and seventh-most in career shutouts. She has made 70 saves throughout the 2015 campaign, which is fourth in the SEC. She made a career-high eight saves in conference matchups at No. 11 Florida and Mizzou. She also produced clean sheets versus LSU, No. 10 South Carolina and No. 10 Auburn. Merritt was the first keeper to shutout the Tigers and the Gamecocks this season and notably produced back-to-back clean sheets against the two top-10 teams. After making six saves in a shutout victory over No. 10 Auburn, Merritt was seen on ESPN's SportsCenter as a Capital One Impact Performance of the Week nominee. Merritt also helped produce a clean sheet against Tennessee in the Rebels first victory over the Vols since 2003.
FORWARDS ON THE ATTACK
With 40 goals in 18 games, Ole Miss ranks third in the SEC and 18th in the nation. A large part of the scoring success can be credited to a pair of forwards in junior Addie Forbus and freshman CeCe Kizer. Both players have reached double digits in goals scored as Kizer paces the Rebels with 14 goals and Forbus has found the back of the net 11 times. Combining for 25 goals this season, the dynamic duo has been a major factor to the Rebels' early success. Forbus' 11 goals combined with her six assists total 28 points, which ranks third in the conference for total points. Kizer's 14 goals and a single assist give her 29 points on the 2015 campaign, the second-most in the conference. The two are the only teammates ranked in the SEC's top five of both statistical categories. Forbus and Kizer's combined goals (25) come in second in national rankings, just behind two teammates from Mississippi Valley.
SUCCESS AT HOME
The Rebels have seen their fair share of success on the home pitch over the history of the program with a 114-44-17 all-time record at Ole Miss Soccer Stadium. Following the victory over No. 10 Auburn, Ole Miss boasts a 9-1-1 mark at home this season. The Rebels hold a 40-14-10 all-time record at home during the Matthew Mott era. When playing on the home pitch, the Rebels are cheered on to victory by an electric crowd. The Rebel faithful showed up in waves Friday night, Oct. 16, to help Ole Miss in the win over No. 10 Auburn. The crowd of 1,510 stands as a season-high in attendance and the fifth-highest attendance in school history.
SEC TOURNAMENT ON THE HORIZON
After posting two more SEC victories last weekend, Ole Miss has locked at least the No. 3 seed in the upcoming SEC Tournament, with the possibility of grabbing the top seed and claiming the first conference title in school history. If the season were to end today, Ole Miss would head to the SEC Tournament in Orange Beach, Ala. with a first-round bye and begin play on Wednesday during the quarterfinals. The Rebels would square off against South Carolina, who they beat earlier this season by a 2-0 tally. The top-10 teams in the SEC, based on points, qualify for the conference tournament.
