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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Kentucky
Rebel Soccer Visits Kentucky for Final Road Match of the Regular Season
10/17/2018 | Soccer
Ole Miss Looking for Important Points to Move Closer to The Beach
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OLE MISS (9-6-1) vs. KENTUCKY (4-12) Thursday, Oct. 18 • 6:30 p.m. • Lexington, Ky. Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex (3,368)  |
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| Watch • Live Stats • Ole Miss Match Notes • Kentucky Match Notes | ||||||||
KICKERS
• Ole Miss enters Thursday's match with a 9-6-1 overall record, coming off of a 3-1 loss on the road at LSU. At 3-3-1 in SEC play, the Rebels are tied for sixth in the league table with 10 points.
• The loss to the Tigers was just the second all season for the Rebels after scoring the opening goal.
• The Rebels are inching closer to securing a birth in the SEC Tournament in Orange Beach, Alabama. Last season, Missouri claimed the 10th and final spot with nine points in league play.
• Channing Foster scored for the second-straight match on Thursday, her third in her last five contests. Foster appeared to score a second in the match but had it called back on a delayed offside call. The sophomore ranks second on the team with six goals in 2018.
• CeCe Kizer continues to lead the SEC in goals (12) and points (30), ranking fifth in the nation in points and 12th in goals. The senior's seven assists are also good for third most in the SEC, ranking 26th nationally.
• Kizer and Foster rank tied for eighth in the league with three goals apiece during SEC play. They are one of four sets of teammates ranking inside the top-10.
• Kentucky sits at the bottom of the SEC table with an 0-7 league record. The wildcats rank 12th in the conference with 1.00 goals per game, allowing a league-high 2.56 goals per match.
• After winning their first three matches of the season, the Wildcats have dropped 12 of their last 13 affairs.
• The winner of Thursday's match will take a lead in the all-time series, with the Rebels and Wildcats entering the matchup even at 11-11-1. Kentucky won the first five meetings, while Ole Miss has posted a 7-2 record in the last nine matchups.
• UK is led in scoring by sophomore midfielders Yuuka Kurosaki and Hollie Olding with four goals apiece. Kurosaki and Olding have combined for half of the Wildcats' offensive production.
SCOUTING KENTUCKY
Since entering SEC play, Kentucky has hit a rough patch in its season, dropping each of its last eight matches, including its first seven conference matchups. During the skid, the Wildcats have been outscored 27-6, suffering four shutouts in league play. However, UK has been far from an easy out when playing on their home soil, registering a 3-5 record at the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex.
A large reason for the Wildcats' struggles in 2018 is UK's difficulty putting the ball in the back of the net. Kentucky ranks 12th in the SEC in goals per game, scoring 16 times in 16 matches. Additionally, the Wildcats' 162 shots on the season is the least in the conference, just over 10 per match. However, the Wildcats have had just as hard of a time preventing their opponents from scoring on the defensive end. The 41 goals allowed by UK is far and away the most in the league, 18 more than the next closest team. Kentucky has registered a single clean sheet, ranking last in the SEC.
The Wildcats are led in scoring by sophomore midfielders Yuuka Kurosaki and Hollie Olding, making up half of Kentucky's scoring with four goals apiece. Fellow sophomore midfielder Eva Mitchell has been a key playmaker for UK, leading the team with four assists. Freshman forward Abby Steiner has also been a primary contributor to Kentucky's offense, registering a pair of goals and three assists on the season.
In goal, a pair of goalkeepers have started for UK, with freshman Hannah Leonard leading the way with 12 starts. Leonard has posted a 2.10 goals against average and a .636 save percentage in her 1026: 11, making 42 total saves. Freshman Payton Woodward has appeared in five matches with four starts, making 19 saves while surrendering 17 goals.
SERIES HISTORY - KENTUCKY
Entering Thursday's meeting, Ole Miss and Kentucky are deadlocked in the all-time series at 11-11-2. The Wildcats took a strong lead with five straight wins to open the series, taking six of the first seven meetings. However, lately it has been all Rebels, with Ole Miss earning the win in seven of the past nine matchups. The Rebs have fared well in Lexington, registering a 5-3 record against UK in the Bluegrass State
LAST MEETING - KENTUCKY (10/1/16)
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Ole Miss needed just three shots to upend Kentucky on its home turf, earning a 2-1 road victory in double overtime at the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex.
After a somewhat lethargic opening 45 minutes saw the two sides into halftime in a 0-0 tie, Kentucky turned up the pressure in the second half, peppering the Rebels with 13 shots.
Tanya Samarzich gave UK the lead in the 79th-minute, scoring off of an assist from Sophie Babo on a free kick. However, Ole Miss answered right back with its lone shot of the period as Liza Harbin headed the equalizer home off of a far post cross from Gretchen Harknett.
With the score remaining tied after full time, the contest extended into overtime. Hometown hero Alley Houghton bagged the golden goal to garner the win for the Rebels in the 102nd-minute, flicking in her first career goal via a free kick service from Addie Forbus.
FOSTER HEATING UP
Fresh off of a 12-goal freshman season that saw her collect Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman honors, Kentucky native Channing Foster struggled through what some would call a "sophomore slump" through the early part of the 2018 campaign. However, as of late the 5-6 striker has been back up to her old tricks, scoring in each of the past two matches and three of the last five. In last Thursday's loss to LSU, Foster had appeared to collect the third multi-goal game of her career with a late tally. Instead, a late conference between officials resulted in a tight offsides call going against the Rebels' No. 12.
