The University of Mississippi Athletics
No. 24 Ole Miss Hosts LSU in Sunday Soccer Matinee
10/7/2017 | Soccer
Game 14 - LSU
Date: Oct. 8, 2017
First Kick: 2 p.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Ole Miss Soccer Stadium
TV: SEC Network +
Seth Austin (play-by-play)
Ian Banner (analyst)
Live Stats:
Series: LSU leads 10-9-4
Last Match: Sept., 2016
LSU 3, Ole Miss 0
Twitter Updates: @OleMissSoccer
KICKERS
- No. 24 Ole Miss is coming off an action packed 6-4 road loss to Tennessee on Thursday.
- Four different Rebels (G. Johnson, Foster, Kizer, E. Johnson) scored against the Volunteers.
- The 10 total goals scored in the match are the most in a game involving Ole Miss since 2001, an 11-0 Rebel victory over Alabama A&M.
- Thursday's match was the first time allowing three first-half goals for Ole Miss since the 2014 season. That year, UCF scored three time in the first 45 minutes on the way to a 4-0 victory in Orlando.
- CeCe Kizer and Channing Foster both scored against UT, marking the fifth time both have scored in a match on the year.
- LSU is 1-2-2 in the league coming off its first SEC win of the campaign Thursday over Georgia (2-1).
- Ole Miss is eighth in the league standings at 2-3 with six points, while LSU sits in ninth with five points.
- Sunday's matchup is another against a top-20 RPI team, with LSU coming in at No. 19.
- Ole Miss is No. 25 in this week's RPI report, while all five remaining opponents are in the top 40.
- Foster and Kizer continue to lead the SEC with 11 goals each, and also rank in the top three in the league in points per game.
- Junior goalkeeper Marnie Merritt is tied for third in the SEC in shutouts with six on the season, just one behind league-leaders Shae Yanez of Tennessee and Mikayla Krzeczowski of South Carolina.
- The Rebels easily remain the SEC's most prolific offense, leading the league with 47 goals on the year. That total is 13 more than second-ranked Arkansas, while Ole Miss is scoring more than a goal a game more than any other team in the conference.
SCOUTING LSU
LSU comes into Sunday's match with an 8-2-2 overall record, while posting a 1-2-2 mark in SEC play. The Tigers swept the non-conference portion of its schedule, including a shutout victory over then No. 19 Cincinnati. During its seven non-league games, LSU outscored its opponents 17-1. The Tigers haven't fared as well in league play but did earn their first SEC victory of the season on Thursday, topping Georgia by a 2-1 margin in Baton Rouge. LSU is led offensively by Alex Thomas, who has netted seven goals on the year in addition to a pair of assists for a team-high 16 points. Tinaya Alexander has been the primary playmaker for the Tigers, dishing out seven assists on the season, tied for the conference lead. Caroline Brockmeier has played every second in goal, maintaining a 0.72 goals against average to go along with six shutouts.
SERIES HISTORY - LSU
The Rebels have a chance Sunday to even the all-time series with LSU as the Tigers enter the affair with a 10-9-4 lead. Ole Miss has had recent success over LSU, preceding last season's loss with three-straight wins. The last time the two sides met at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium, the then-No. 13 Rebels set aside the Tigers 2-0 in a dominating performance. Ole Miss outshot LSU 21-7 in the game and used goals by Gretchen Harknett and Addie Forbus to pull off the victory.
LAST MEETING - LSU
BATON ROUGE, La. (Sept. 16, 2016) - Ole Miss outshot LSU, 12-10, but two penalty kicks and a late score off a corner kick proved to be the difference as the Rebels fell, 3-0, at the LSU Soccer Stadium.
The Rebels trailed just 1-0 at half after a foul and penalty kick in the 30th minute, but another foul in the box and late score off a set piece sealed the win for the Tigers.
The two sides began the match in a defensive battle with just nine combined shots in 45 minutes, but the opportunities weren't limited as the two clubs also combined for seven offside calls in the half. Both sides finished the contest with six offside calls each, thwarting multiple chances for the Rebels' offense.
ACADEMIC ACCOLADES
There's a reason Ole Miss soccer is a recipient of the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for the seventh-straight season. It's no coincidence that year in and year out, the Rebels establish themselves as one of the top GPAs on campus and within the SEC. The Rebels were recently announced as a 2017-18 recipient of the prestigious academic laurel after leading the conference with a 3.62 GPA. It marked the 13th time in school history for Ole Miss to receive the honor. The award is only a fraction of the academic success under the direction of head coach Matthew Mott, as his teams have consistently produced individual and team accomplishments in the classroom. Since his arrival to campus in 2010, the Rebels have had 12 CoSIDA Academic All-District selections, four CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, one NSCAA Scholar All-American, one SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and one NSCAA All-Region honoree.
REBELS SLOTTED 24TH IN UNITED SOCCER COACHES POLL
Facing one of the top teams in all of the land, a 2-0 set back to No. 3 South Carolina didn't affect Ole Miss too much in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. Sitting at No. 18 heading into the week, the Rebels fell a few spots to No. 24. It is the fourth consecutive week being ranked in the poll for the Rebels and the sixth-consecutive appearance on the season including the receiving votes section.
REBELS REMAIN IN TOP-25 IN RPI
Despite the loss in the only game of the week last Friday to third-ranked South Carolina, Ole Miss continues to hold a spot in the top-25 in the RPI rankings. The Rebels are sixth among SEC teams in the RPI, still with three of those teams ahead still left on the schedule. Over the course of the next two games, the Rebels will take on No. 19 LSU and No. 16 Texas A&M. Furthermore, three additional SEC teams (Alabama, 24; Auburn, 23; Mississippi State, 39) are all in the top 50, all three of which come to end the Rebels' regular season.
BRICK BY BRICK
Each season, the senior class is tasked with creating a new team motto for the fall. This year's class of Liza Harbin, Courtney Carroll, Danielle Gray and Bella Fiorenzo chose Brick by Brick, or #B3, for the program. The idea stemmed from a couple of different reasons, one being the renovation of the Gillom Center, which houses the locker room, team room, training room, and weight facility. The Ole Miss Soccer Stadium also saw a new playing surface laid down, further reiterating the Brick by Brick mantra. It also was created with the mindset of a positive spring after a somewhat disappointing season last fall, with the hopes of the foundation and the future of the program only looking up.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Soccer on Twitter at @OleMissSoccer, on Facebook at Facebook.com/OleMissSoccer, and on Instagram at Instagram.com/officialolemisssoccer. Also follow head coach Matt Mott on Twitter at @CoachMattMott. Additionally fans can get a behind the scenes look at Ole Miss Athletics on Snapchat under the handle, @WeAreOleMiss.
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