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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Georgia
Soccer Wraps Up Home Schedule with No. 14 Georgia
10/30/2020 | Soccer
Ole Miss Takes on No. 14 Bulldogs Saturday
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OLE MISS (2-4-0, 2-4-0) vs. NO. 14 GEORGIA (2-2-2, 2-2-2) Saturday, Oct. 31 • 6 p.m. • Oxford, Miss. Ole Miss Soccer Stadium  |
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| WATCH • LIVE STATS • OLE MISS NOTES (PDF) • GEORGIA NOTES (PDF) • SEC NOTES (PDF) | ||||||||
QUICK KICKS
• The Rebels are coming off of a hard-fought loss to No. 7 Arkansas last weekend in Oxford, dropping the contest 2-1.
• Oxford product Mo O'Connor scored for Ole Miss against the Razorbacks for her first goal of the season. It was the sophomore's third tally of her career, all coming at home.
• Ashley Orkus made seven saves in goal against the Razorbacks. Orkus has collected 35 total saves in six matches in 2020, third most in the SEC.
• Ole Miss has scored in back-to-back matches for the first time this season. Of the Rebels' four total goals in 2020, three have come in the last two contests.
• Georgia visits Oxford for the first time since 2017, when Ole Miss handed the Bulldogs a 4-1 defeat. The margin of victory was tied for the largest in league play for Ole Miss that year.
• In 11 all-time meetings in Oxford, Ole Miss and Georgia are split evenly at 4-4-3, with Georgia's last win at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium coming in 2012.
• After beginning the season undefeated through four matches, Georgia has dropped two straight.
• Despite falling to Vanderbilt this past Sunday, Georgia moved up one place in the United Soccer Coaches Poll to No. 14.
• Both Ole Miss and Georgia are tied with Auburn for the league low in goals with four apiece. The match also features two to the SEC's top goalkeepers in Orkus and Georgia's Emory Wegener.
SCOUTING GEORGIA
Billy Lesesne is in his sixth season as head coach at Georgia, collecting a 29-53-15 record along the way, earning a spot in the SEC Tournament twice in five seasons thus far. Although the Bulldogs have largely struggled under the former Duke Associate Head Coach, the program appears to be turning a corner, achieving its most wins during Lesesne's reign in 2019 with an 8-7-4 mark.
The 14th ranked Bulldogs enter Saturday's matchup with a 2-2-2 record, falling in each of their last two contests after starting the season undefeated through four matches, including statement wins over South Carolina and Tennessee. The match will be the final away from Athens for UGA, sitting at 0-1-2 on the road this season.
Matching Ole Miss with four goals through the season's first six matches, Georgia is led in scoring by junior midfielder Abby Boylan, representing half of the Bulldog's goal total with two tallies. Senior defender Jessie Denney and sophomore forward Chloe Chapman have also scored for UGA, while senior forward Mollie Belisle and sophomore forward Mallie McKenzie have collected the team's two assists.
In goal, junior keeper Emory Wegener has been outstanding, ranking second in the SEC in goals-against-average at 0.62 and save percentage at .867. In six starts, Wegener has surrendered just four goals, making 26 saves along the way and matching Ole Miss keeper Ashley Orkus for the top spot in the league with two clean sheets.
SERIES HISTORY - GEORGIA
In a tight, back-and-forth affair over the years, Georgia holds a slight 11-9-3 advantage over the Rebels in the all-time series, with neither side recording a winning streak longer than three matches in the 23 meetings. The Rebs and Bulldogs have squared off eight times during the Matt Mott era, with Georgia gaining the edge at 4-2-2. Ole Miss is 4-4-3 all-time when hosting Georgia in Oxford, winning the last meeting at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium 4-1 in 2017.
LAST MEETING - GEORGIA (10/13/19)
ATHENS, Ga. - Ole Miss grabbed a second half lead but a two-goal spurt just over a minute apart spelled disaster for the Rebels, falling to Georgia 2-1 at the Turner Soccer Complex.
While the Rebels controlled the pace of play in the first half, seemingly knocking on the door of scoring throughout the 45 minutes, the two sides entered the halftime break locked in a scoreless tie. Ole Miss' best chances from its six shots both came from Channing Foster on shots from distance but gave Georgia keeper Emory Wegener no real threat.
After weathering a couple of early chances for Georgia in the opening part of the second frame, the Rebels used some beautiful link up play to get on the board first in the 55th minute. Gabby Little hit Foster right in stride charging into the box, Foster cut back and played a square ball to Haleigh Stackpole and Stackpole lifted a shot past Wegener.
However, two Bulldog goals in just over a minute quickly turned the lead to a deficit. The first came on a looping far post shot from Reagan Glisson in the 71st minute that gave Orkus no chance of making a stop, tying the game at a goal apiece.
Just 66 seconds later, Sydney Michalak was called for a foul in the box and Dani Marguia converted the penalty, putting the home team up 2-1 with under 20 to play.
The Rebels pushed on in an attempt to equalize until the very end but couldn't claw back, dropping their second SEC match of the season.
LAST TIME IN OXFORD
The last time Georgia visited Oxford, Ole Miss scored early and often, easing its way to a 4-1 victory at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium, matching the largest margin of victory in conference play during the 2017 season. It took the Rebs less than five minutes to seize an advantage, with then-freshman Channing Foster scoring off a feed from CeCe Kizer. Julia Phillips added a second for the Rebs shortly thereafter, giving the home team a 2-0 lead at the break. Grace Johnson made it a 3-0 advantage in the 57th minute before Georgia pulled one back in the 70th minute. With two assists in hand, Kizer capped scoring for the evening in the 78th minute off a feed from Gabby Little.
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
In addition to being the final match of 2020 played at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium, Saturday's contest will be special for an additional reason as the Rebel soccer program recognized the career of Chanel Thomas for Senior Day. Thomas has been a fixture on the back line for the Rebs over her four years, appearing in 66 matches with 43 starts. While Coco, as she's affectionately known by her teammates, has become known for her quick pace and defensive acumen, the Scottsdale, Arizona, native even provided some offense as a freshman, scoring once on her three shot attempts, all three the only of her career. A multi-year academic captain for the Rebels, Thomas graduated in three years with a degree in managerial finance and is currently working towards achieving her MBA.
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 35 stops on the year. With 125 saves in 26 matches, Orkus is averaging just under five parries a match. At 5.83 stops per match in 2020, Orkus ranks eighth in the nation and third in the SEC.
TIDE TURNED
Coming off of back-to-back losses, Ole Miss responded in a major way at Alabama, scoring in the early minutes of each half to take home a 2-0 victory from Tuscaloosa. The Rebels got on the board in the 10th minute from a long throw delivery from Taylor Radecki, with Channing Foster heading home her first goal of the season. The Rebs added a second early on in the second half as Mo O'Connor's shot from distance was deflected off of a Crimson Tide defender and into the goal. Alabama made a late push to draw closer but an excellent diving save from Ashley Orkus in the 84th minute denied the Crimson Tide, locking up Orkus' second clean sheet of the season.
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 48 career goals among them, behind only Arkansas. This is in part thanks to the prolific scoring career of Foster, who sits as the SEC's leading active scorer with 31 goals in her three plus 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 entered the 2020 season 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
At the conclusion of Saturday's home finale, the Rebels will turn their attention to the final match of the regular season, heading to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt on Saturday, Nov. 7.
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.
