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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Alabama
Soccer Makes Return Trip to Alabama to Take on the Crimson Tide
10/17/2020 | Soccer
Rebels Looking to Extend Winning Streak in Tuscaloosa
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OLE MISS (1-3-0, 1-3-0) at ALABAMA (1-2-1, 1-2-1) Sunday, Oct. 18 • 2 p.m. • Tuscaloosa, Ala. Alabama Soccer Stadium  |
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| WATCH • LIVE STATS • OLE MISS NOTES (PDF) • ALABAMA NOTES (PDF) • SEC NOTES (PDF) | ||||||||
QUICK KICKS
• Ole Miss is coming off of a tough 1-0 loss in double overtime against Auburn on Tuesday. It was the first loss against the Tigers for the Rebels since 2012.
• Despite receiving the loss, Ashley Orkus was a standout for the Rebels on Tuesday, coming up one save shy of tying her career high with nine stops against the Tigers. Nobody in the SEC has made more saves since the start of the 2019 season than Orkus, who ranks third in the league and 15th in the NCAA with 25 saves in 2020.
• Sunday's affair will be the first time in 2020 that Ole Miss has played two matches in one week.
• The Rebels have generally fared well against Alabama, falling just once in the last nine meetings, including a six-match win streak from 2011-16. However, the two sides have split the last three matchups at 1-1-1.
• Ole Miss has come away victorious in each of the last four trips to Tuscaloosa, boasting a 7-5 record all-time on the road against the Crimson Tide.
• In last season's meeting, Ole Miss took a first half lead but was unable to hang on as Alabama scored late, with the two sides eventually settling for a 1-1 draw.
• Ole Miss last visited Tuscaloosa in 2018, with the Rebels taking home all three points behind a headed goal from Molly Martin off of a corner kick service in the 45th minute.
• Martin is the only Rebel on the current roster to have ever scored against Alabama
SCOUTING ALABAMA
Alabama is in the fifth season of the Wes Hart era, sitting directly at .500 in Hart's time in Tuscaloosa with a 45-45-12 overall record. Hart has guided the Crimson Tide to one NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017, while also reaching the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history in 2019.
Alabama enters the match with a 1-2-1 overall record in 2020, having not won since the opening week of the season with a 3-1 victory over Tennessee in Tuscaloosa. Since then, the Crimson Tide have drawn 1-1 with Mississippi State and lost back-to-back matchups with Florida and No. 3 Arkansas.
Junior forward Riley Mattingly is the only Alabama player with multiple goals in 2020, having scored twice in the season-opening victory over the Volunteers. Sophomore midfielder Macy Clem and freshman midfielder Felicia Knox are next in line with three points on a goal and an assist apiece, while sophomore midfielder Serena Pham and sophomore midfielder Sydney Vincens have also bagged a goal for Alabama.
In goal, it's been the McKinley Crone show for the Crimson Tide. The junior goalkeeper has played every second of the Tide's four matches so far this season, posting a 1.42 goals against average with a .813 save percentage, making 26 stops on the year.
SERIES HISTORY - ALABAMA
In 26 all-time meetings between Ole Miss and Alabama, the Rebels hold a sizeable advantage with a 17-8-1 record over the years against their fellow SEC West foes. While in the last 15 years the Rebels have been fairly dominant when squaring off against Alabama, the last three meetings have been split right down the middles with Alabama winning in Oxford in 2017, Ole Miss avenging the defeat with a victory in Tuscaloosa in 2018 and the two sides playing to a 1-1 draw in Oxford a season ago. However, before that, Ole Miss rattled off six-straight victories over Alabama and 11 wins in 12 meetings from 2005-16. The Rebs have faired well when taking on the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, posting a 7-5 record on Alabama's home field, including four-straight victories.
LAST MEETING - ALABAMA (10/17/19)
OXFORD, Miss. - Julia Phillips gave Ole Miss a lead 20 minutes into the match and the Rebels were nearly able to hold on for the following 70 but a late equalizer from Alabama forced the Rebs into a 1-1 tie Thursday night at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium.
If not for the outstanding play of Ole Miss keeper Ashley Orkus, the Crimson Tide very well might have taken all three points with them back to Tuscaloosa. Orkus set a new career high with 10 saves on the night, even getting a hand on the Alabama equalizer.
The first half started fast and furious, with both teams creating a handful of decent scoring chances in the opening 20 minutes. However, none of the opportunities came to fruition, leaving the two sides deadlocked at zeroes.
That changed in the 20th minute, with Rebel captain Phillips using a tremendous solo effort to break the tie. Chesting a ball down at midfield, Phillips dribbled forward towards the top of the box. Right when the defense started to collapse, the senior unleashed a curling shot past Tide keeper AJ Crooks and into the side netting.
Ole Miss had a chance to double its lead late in the half, with Channing Foster dribbling her way into some space at the top of the box. However, the striker's attempt was always rising, going well over the bar.
With a lead in hand, the second half became all about maintaining the advantage for Ole Miss. The Rebels were able to do that for the majority of the proceeding 45 minutes but in the 84th minute the Crimson Tide were able to equalize. Orkus nearly made a great tip save to deny Gabby Duca but the ball just stayed under the bar and trickled into the goal, leveling the game at a goal apiece.
With the score locked at 1-1 through 90 minutes, the match was extended into overtime. Ole Miss had three long-range chances in the second overtime period but none of them came through and the Rebs were forced to share a point.
ROSTER CONNECTIONS
Ole Miss and Alabama have just one connection between their two rosters. Crimson Tide junior goalkeeper Kaylee Hammer played at Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee, the same high school as Rebel sophomore Jenna Kemp. Hammer is a native of Memphis, Tennessee, the same hometown as Ole Miss' Molly Martin and Sydney Ham.
LAST TIME AT BAMA
Things went well for Ole Miss the last time visiting Tuscaloosa, with the Road Rebs taking home three points on the back of Molly Martin's headed goal from a corner kick just before the half. It was the first time since 2013 that Ole Miss opened its conference slate with a win. Additionally, Martin's tally makes her the only Rebel on the current roster to have scored against the Crimson Tide.
BRICK WALL
Since taking over as the starting goalkeeper for Ole Miss since the start of last season, no player in the Southeastern Conference has made more stops than junior Ashley Orkus. The Vestavia Hills, Alabama, native ranked second in the SEC with 90 saves in 2019 and currently sits at No. 3 in the conference in 2020 having tallied 25 stops on the year. With 125 saves in 24 matches, Orkus is averaging just over five parries a match. At 6.25 stops per match in 2020, Orkus ranks sixth in the nation and third in the SEC.
HOLLAND HEADS REBS PAST TIGERS
Playing on the road for the first time in 2020, Ole Miss earned three key points in Baton Rouge with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over LSU in Week 2. After the Tigers maintained control through the early part of the contest, Ole Miss took over and dominated the pace of play for the final 30 minutes or so of the first half, taking the half's final seven shots. Nonetheless, the two sides were forced to hit the halftime break deadlocked in a scoreless tie. Ole Miss again came out of the gates strong in the second stanza and in the 58th minute Saydie Holland rose high and headed home Haleigh Stackpole's corner kick delivery for the first goal of the sophomore's career. The Rebels were able to see out the final 32 minutes of play, earning an important victory away from home.
WE OVER ME
Every year, the members of the Ole Miss soccer senior class come together to create a motto for that season's team. This year, the Rebels are rallying behind the "We Over Me" mindset, the idea that no single person is bigger than the team and that the entire group of 25 must work together in order to accomplish the team's goals. A specially designed "We Over Me" logo has been created and features in various areas such as warm up gear and the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium videoboard.
OLE MISS ANNOUNCES SOCCER ATTENDANCE POLICY
Due to social distancing as well as health and safety policies on campus, soccer matches at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium will look a little different in 2020. Based on the current state executive order, capacity in the grand stand has been limited to no more than 25 percent of capacity. In order to maximize the number of fans who will be allowed in attendance, a "pod" system has been implemented, with pods limited to groups of two or four members of a family or household. After the player guest pass list has been fulfilled for both the home and visiting teams, attendance options will be offered to a select group of fans through the Ole Miss Kicker Club and the Rebel Rewards App. Priority will be given based on each person's Kicker Club giving level or Rebel Rewards status. Due to social distancing restrictions, attendance will not be offered to the general public.
Additionally, face coverings are required at all times throughout the stadium, and tailgating is prohibited on campus.
MAGNOLIA STATE MASTERY
Since Ole Miss began its soccer program in 1995, the Rebels have owned the Magnolia State. The Rebs have posted a 28-8-5 record all-time against in-state foes and have lost just once to a fellow Mississippi program in the last 10 in-state meetings. During the Matt Mott era the Rebels have faced off against in-state competition 16 times, posting an 11-3-2 record. In fact, outside of Mississippi State, Ole Miss holds a 13-1-0 record against Magnolia State teams, with the lone loss coming to William Carey in the Rebels' inaugural season.
OLE MISS SLOTTED 8TH IN SEC PRESEASON POLL
For the second consecutive season, Ole Miss has been predicted to finish eight in the league in the SEC Preseason Coaches Poll. The prognostication was right on the money in 2019, with the Rebels finishing in a tie for eighth-place with Auburn and Mississippi State with a 3-4-3 league record. However, in recent years the conference coaches have undervalued the Rebs, with Ole Miss outperforming its preseason ranking in five of the last eight seasons.
THREE'S COMPANY
For years Ole Miss has been known for having some of the more potent attacking groups in the Southeastern Conference, something that still rings true in 2020. In fact, Ole Miss' top scoring trio of seniors Channing Foster and Molly Martin and junior Haleigh Stackpole give the Rebels the league's second highest scoring threesome with 47 career goals among them, behind only Arkansas. This is in part thanks to the prolific scoring career of Foster, who enters the year as the SEC's leading active scorer with 30 goals in her three seasons in Red and Navy. However, when teams load up on the 2019 First Team All-SEC forward, Martin and Stackpole are unafraid to pick up the slack, finding the back of the net seven and 10 times in their careers, respectively.
REBEL FIVE TABBED TO SEC PRESEASON WATCH LIST
The SEC announced its Preseason Watch List on Thursday, with Ole Miss' placing five players on the list in seniors Channing Foster and Molly Martin and juniors Sydney Michalak, Ashley Orkus and Haleigh Stackpole.
Foster, Stackpole and Martin combine often to provide a powerful punch to the potent Rebel attack, leading the team in career scoring with 30, 10 and seven goals, respectively. In fact, 56.3 percent of Ole Miss' scoring in 2019 came from one of the three playmakers, as well as 10 of 21 assists tallied a year ago. All three stepped up in clutch moments as well, bagging seven of the Rebels' 10 game winning goals.
On the other side of the field, Michalak and Orkus anchor the Rebel defense. Converting from a winger to the full back position last season, Michalak burst onto the scene in establishing herself as a lockdown defender. The native Floridian's lightning quick speed translated well from the offensive side to the defensive side of the pitch, primarily being matched up with opposing team's most dangerous attacking threat. Behind Michalak, Orkus made a stellar debut season in goal for Ole Miss. The Tennessee transfer started every second of the 2019 campaign, ranking second in the league with 86 saves while posting a 1.28 goals-against average and six clean sheets.
STRONGER TOGETHER
In early September, Ole Miss and 12 other institutions throughout the state of Mississippi announced the launching of the "Stronger Together" initiative to unite the state's athletics programs and communities in support of togetherness, diversity and equality.
During the 2020-21 academic year, college and university athletics programs in Mississippi will incorporate a special logo on their uniforms, equipment, warm-up gear or bags. The logo will serve as a visual representation of the state's schools coming together and will feature school-specific branding with the words "Stronger Together" inside the outline of Mississippi.
The campaign was created for the state's colleges and universities to come together, listen, learn and support student-athletes through their challenges, stresses and pressures related to events around the country. As part of the initiative, the schools will unite in their efforts to promote social justice and racial equality through advocacy, awareness and education.
REBS ADD PAIR OF IMPACT TRANSFERS
Over the years the Rebels have fared well when adding talent off of the transfer market and head coach Matt Mott is hoping to strike gold once again with a pair of experienced newcomers in Tyler Junior College product Marta Estupiñán and former Florida State Seminole Taylor Radecki.
Estupiñán, who originally hails from Canaries, Spain, is coming off of back-to-back NJCAA All-America seasons for the Apaches, anchoring the back line and helping TJC capture the 2019 NJCAA National Championship after a runner-up finish in 2018. Estupiñán, who was named the MVP of the NJCAA National Tournament, helped the Apaches to a 45-3-1 record during her two seasons, scoring five times and dishing out a pair of assists.
REBEL FRESHMEN NAMED GATORADE POTY
In June, the Gatorade Player of the Year was announced for each state, with two of Ole Miss' five freshmen honored in Lucy Green and Sydney Ham. The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguished Green and Ham as their state's best high school soccer player.
Green, who is the first player for West Lauderdale High School to be named Mississippi's Gatorade Player of the Year, helped lead the charge to the Knight's fourth state championship in five years, scored seven goals and dished out 11 assists this past season. The Clarion Ledger First Team All-State honoree anchored a defense that posted 21 clean sheets and surrendered just seven goals on the season.
While Green shined in the defensive half of the pitch, Ham lit up the scoreboard in becoming Briarcrest Christian School's first Gatorade Player of the Year honoree. Capable in the midfield as well as up front as a striker, Ham spearheaded a 17-1-1 season for the Saints, culminating in a victory in the Tennessee State Championship Game. The Daily Memphian Player of the Year, Ham was selected to play in the prestigious High School All-American Game this past December.
GAS IN THE TANK
Over her first two seasons as a Rebel, junior Haleigh Stackpole has proven to have deep reserves when it comes to energy. The Fort Bragg, North Carolina native has been a fixture in the Ole Miss lineup ever since stepping foot on campus, starting all 42 matches of her collegiate career. Even more impressive, the box-to-box midfielder has hardly ever come off the field despite easily pacing the Rebels in distance ran every match, typically 9-10 miles. After ranking second on the team as a freshman at just over 84 minutes per match, Stackpole was subbed for just three total minutes in 2019, logging 1,899 minutes over 20 matches.
FOSTER ENTERS TOP 10
With 10 goals in 2019, Channing Foster cracked the top-10 on Ole Miss' all-time scoring list, finding the back of the net 30 times in her career to pull into a tie for seventh most with Jennifer Soileau, Regan Scanlon and Addie Forbus. With a potential to play two more seasons in Red and Navy, Foster sits 18 goals behind former teammate CeCe Kizer as the most prolific Rebel in history. The three-time All-SEC standout also has the opportunity to enter rarified air this season. If the Graves County High School product can make it a fourth-successive all-conference nod, she'll join Rebel great Danielle Johnson as just the second Ole Miss player to ever do so.
SMART COOKIE
Of the 25 players on the Ole Miss roster, one has earned the right to wear the "SEC Graduate" patch on her shoulder. Chanel Thomas earned her bachelor's degree in managerial finance in 2020 and is currently working towards a master's of business administration degree. However, that's not where the honors end for the Scottsdale, Arizona, native. Below is a summary of the academic laurels Thomas has earned in her time at Ole Miss:
• Graduated in 3 years with a degree in managerial finance, 4.0 GPA
• Has been the team academic captain for the last 3 years
• Recipient of the University of Mississippi's Taylor Medal, awarded to no more than 1% of students each year
• One of four Finalist for the 2020 Arthur Ashe Junior National Sports Scholar of the Year Award
• 2020 Outstanding Undergraduate Managerial Finance Student Award
KIZER CAPTURES NWSL CHALLENGE CUP
In her second professional season, Ole Miss alum CeCe Kizer helped the Houston Dash collect some hardware this summer as the Houston Dash claimed the NWSL Challenge Cup. Kizer, the 13th overall selection in the 2019 NWSL Draft, played a pivotal role in the Dash' win over the Chicago Red Stars in the championship match, coming on early as a sub and playing the final 61 minutes of action. Kizer recently signed a two-year extension with the Dash and will compete with Norwegian Toppserien club Kolbotn IL on a loan spell through the rest of 2020, making the league's Team of the Week in each of her first two weeks in Norway.
FOLLOW THE REBS!
Fans can keep up with all the goings on around the Ole Miss soccer program by following the Rebels on the team's various social media platforms. You can find the Rebs on Twitter at @OleMissSoccer, on Instagram at
@OfficialOleMissSoccer or on Facebook by search "Ole Miss Soccer".
NEXT UP
After Sunday's showdown in Tuscaloosa, Ole Miss will return home to Oxford to take on No. 3 Arkansas on Sunday, Oct. 25, at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium.
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.
