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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Arkansas
Soccer Seeking Bounce Back Sunday Against Arkansas
10/6/2018 | Soccer
Second-Place Razorbacks Come to Oxford Representing Important Points in the SEC Table
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OLE MISS (8-5-1) vs. ARKANSAS (9-2-2) Sunday, Oct. 7 • 2 p.m. • Oxford, Miss. Ole Miss Soccer Stadium (1,300)  |
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| Watch • Live Stats • Ole Miss Match Notes • Arkansas Match Notes | ||||||||
PROMOTIONS
• Sundae Sunday: The first 200 fans will receive a free sundae.
KICKERS
• Ole Miss enters Sunday's match with an 8-5-1 overall record, coming off of a tough 2-1 loss at Missouri on Sunday night in Columbia. At 2-2-1 in SEC play, the Rebels are tied for sixth in the league table with seven points.
• Senior defender Ella Frischknecht scored the Rebels' lone goal against the Tigers, her second score in as many games. Entering this season, Frischknecht had scored just four times in her career and just once as a Rebel. However, the BYU transfer now ranks tied for third on the team with three goals this season.
• Marnie Merritt made a season-high nine saves last Sunday against then No. 5 Texas A&M, one shy of her career-high set last season against the Aggies. Making an incredible diving save with less than 10 seconds left in the match, Merritt became the first keeper all season to hold the powerful A&M offense to a single goal.
• Following her stellar performance in goal, Merritt was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week. It was the second time in the senior's vaunted career that she has received the honor and the first since her sophomore season in 2016.
• CeCe Kizer currently ranks sixth in the nation in goals (11) and fifth in points (26).
• Ole Miss continues to climb in the NCAA RPI report. Following the draw against Texas A&M, the Rebel climbed to No. 52 in this week's report. Since the initial report came out two weeks ago, Ole Miss has moved up 28 spots from No. 80.
• The Rebels lead the all-time series against Arkansas 15-5-2, thanks in large part to an 11-match winning streak from 1996-2007. Ole Miss and Arkansas split their two matchups last season.
• With four-consecutive wins in league play, Arkansas is tied for second in the SEC with 12 points.
• Junior Forward Tori Cannata scored both goals in the Razorbacks' 2-1 overtime win over LSU. In doing so, Cannata took over the team-lead in scoring with six goals in 2018.
SCOUTING ARKANSAS
Unbeaten in their last five matches, including a four-match winning streak, Arkansas comes to Oxford with a 9-2-2 overall record, tied for second in the SEC table at 3-1-0. While the Razorbacks have yet to be shut out in 2018, the goals haven't typically come in bunches, resulting in an eigth place ranking in the SEC with 24 goals, good for 1.85 per match. Arkansas hasn't been shy to test their opponnent's defense, though, having racked up the third most shots in the league at 241. The Razorbacks also rank in the middle of the pack defensively, having allowed 15 goals in their 13 matches.
After bagging both of Arkansas' goals in its 2-1 overtime victory over LSU on Thursday, junior forward Tori Cannata leads the Razorbacks with six goals this season, chipping in an assist for a team-high 13 points. Right on Cannata's heels is junior midfielder Kayla McKeon with five scores on the season. Meanwhile, sophomore midfielder Taylor Malham paces the Hogs and is tied for the SEC lead with seven assists, while also scoring a pair of goals herself.
The Razorbacks have had three different players protecting their goal this season. Sophomore Rachel Harris has started eight matches, allowing 10 goals in her 717:43 of action, posting a .730 save percentage with a 1.25 goal against average. Fellow sophomore Taylor Beitz has made six appearances and three starts, allowing just three goals in 388:10. Beitz has a perfect 4-0-0 record in goal, making 17 saves for a .850 save percentage and a 0.70 GAA. Redshirt-freshman Alexis Bach has only appeared in three matches but has made a pair of starts, registering a 1.33 GAA with two goals surrendered in 135:00.
SERIES HISTORY - ARKANSAS
Sunday's affair will be the 23rd all-time meeting between Ole Miss and Arkansas, with the Rebels holding a solid 15-5-2 advantage in the series. From 1996-2007 Ole Miss was nothing short of dominant against the Hogs, running a 11-match winning streak, though seven of those wins came by a single tally. Recently, it's been a very even matchup, with the two sides split at 2-2-1 over the last five meetings. In last season's two meetings, the Rebels took out Arkansas 1-0 in Fayetteville before the Razorbacks got revenge in the SEC tournament, bouncing Ole Miss in the first round by the same 1-0 margin.
LAST MEETING - ARKANSAS (10/29/17)
The Rebels battled not one but two opponents in their SEC Tournament loss to Arkansas, the Razorbacks and the woodwork. Ole Miss hit the frame of goal twice during the match as Taylor Malham's 32nd-minute goal stood as the game-winner for Arkansas.
Less than 15 minutes into the match, CeCe Kizer found Gabby Little on a darting run but the then-sophomore was denied the match's opening goal by the post. Shortly thereafter, Malham scored off a set piece to put the Hogs ahead.
The Rebs came out of halftime firing on all cylinders and threw numbers forward in attack but time and again were denied the equalizer.
Ole Miss' best chance came late on, with Grace Johnson unleashing a curling shot that too found the woodwork. The ball fell kindly to Kizer but the Rebels' all-time leading scorer uncharacteristically was unable to put her shot on goal, sending the ball over the frame.
USING HER NOGGIN
Over her two seasons in Oxford, senior center back Ella Frischknecht has been more known for her defensive prowess than her production on the offensive side of the pitch. However, over the past two matches the BYU transfer has been Ole Miss' top producer, scoring in each of the past two matches on headers off of set pieces. Entering this season, the former Ella Johnson had scored just four times in her collegiate career, with three of those tallies coming during her freshman season in Provo. Through 14 matches in 2018, Frischknecht has nearly doubled her goal scoring mark, finding the back of the net three times.
