Soccer Hits the Beach for SEC Tournament Matchup with LSU

			NO. 14 OLE MISS (4-4-0, 4-4-0) vs. LSU (1-6-2, 1-6-2) Sunday, Nov. 15 • 2:30 p.m. • Orange Beach, Ala. Orange Beach Sportsplex
WATCH • LIVE STATS • OLE MISS NOTES (PDF) • LSU NOTES (PDF) • SEC NOTES (PDF)

QUICK KICKS
• Ole Miss opened the 2020 SEC Tournament with a first round bye, earning the No. 6 seed. It is the highest seed for the Rebels since garnering the No. 5 seed in 2018.

• The Rebels will play No. 14 seed LSU, which defeated No. 11 seed Alabama 2-0 on Friday in Orange Beach.

• It is the third all-time meeting between the two sides at the SEC Tournament, with each team recording a win in the previous two matchups.

• Ole Miss broke a streak of five-straight losses in Orange Beach last season, defeating Mississippi State in the opening round.

• The Rebels are 8-20 all-time in the SEC Tournament and 3-12 since the tournament was moved to Orange Beach in 2005.

• Earlier in the week, the SEC its 2020 postseason awards, with Ole Miss keeper Ashley Orkus being named the unanimous choice for Goalkeeper of the Year. Orkus was also a First Team All-SEC honoree.

• Channing Foster joined Orkus on the first team, becoming just the second Rebel ever to be named All-SEC four times in their career.

• Senior defender Chanel Thomas was recognized for her work both on the pitch and in the classroom, being tabbed the SEC Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

• Ole Miss finished the fall regular season tied for the fifth most points in the SEC, earning 12 total with a 4-4 record.

• The Rebels came in at No. 14 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, entering the rankings for the first time since 2017.

• Ole Miss finished the regular season with back-to-back wins over ranked opponents, both times overcoming deficits after the 83rd minute.

• After scoring just one in its first four matches, Ole Miss tallied nine goals in the final four contests of the regular season.

SCOUTING LSU
LSU is in its first season under head coach Sian Hudson, who took over in Baton Rouge after a successful run building the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs into an NCAA Division II power. During her three seasons at UCCS, Hudson's Mountain Lions squads posted a 52-10-4 overall record, qualifying for the NCAA D2 Tournament each campaign. In 2017, Hudson guided UCCS to the national semifinal, finishing with a Rocky Mountain Conference Championship and a 17-5-1 record.

The No. 14 seed Tigers are coming off their first win of the season in the opening round of the SEC Tournament, upending No. 11 seed Alabama 2-0 on Friday. LSU enters Sunday's matchup with a 1-6-2 record, including 0-3-1 away from home.

Redshirt-freshman forward Taylor Dobles scored both goals in the Tigers' victory over the Crimson Tide, moving into a tie with junior forward Tinaya Alexander for the team lead with three goals on the season. Outside of Dobles and Alexander, LSU has registered just two goals, one apiece from junior forward Molly Thompson and sophomore forward Rammie Noel. Dobles has also dished out a pair of assists, tied with junior forward Meghan Johnson to pace LSU.

In goal, former UCCS keeper Mollee Swift has been the bell cow, starting eight of LSU's nine matches. Swift registered LSU's first clean sheet of the season in Friday's win over the Crimson Tide, entering Sunday's affair with an 1.42 GAA and a .763 save percentage. Freshman Bella Zanotelli got the nod in LSU's 2-1 loss at Mississippi State, making three saves.

SERIES HISTORY - LSU
With the 1-0 victory in Baton Rouge earlier this season, Ole Miss took a slight advantage in the all-time series with LSU, breaking a deadlock to move ahead at 12-11-4. Sunday's meeting will be the third between the two sides at the SEC Tournament in Orange Beach. In 2008, No. 2 seed and No. 11 nationally ranked LSU defeated the Rebels 2-1in the quarterfinal round, while Ole Miss topped the Tigers 1-0 in the opening round in 2012.

LAST MEETING - LSU
BATON ROUGE, La. – Ole Miss controlled the pace of play much of the afternoon at the LSU Soccer Stadium, with Saydie Holland's 58th minute headed goal providing the difference in a 1-0 victory over LSU in the first road test of the season for the Rebels.

Ole Miss out shot the Tigers 13-12 in the match, with Mo O'Connor leading all players with four efforts towards goal, while Haleigh Stackpole added in three attempts of her own. Ashley Orkus was strong in goal, making the stop on all four shots on frame.

After a brief period of controlled possession to open the match for LSU, Ole Miss began to settle in and boss the run of play through the latter part of the first half. In fact, the final seven shots of the half came off of a Rebel foot.

Ever a sparkplug for the Rebels, Stackpole took over in the final 10 minutes of the half. The junior continually worked her way into space, creating three separate scoring chances. The best opportunity of the bunch came in the 35th minute, attempting to loft a shot over a charging Mollee Swift, with the LSU keeper getting a hand up to deny the goal.

Despite numerous opportunities to take the lead, the Rebels were forced to settle for a scoreless draw as the two sides hit the halftime intermission.

Ole Miss came out of the halftime break and began the second period of play much like the first one ended, taking control of the match. After a Mo O'Connor strike hit the woodwork in the 57th minute, the Rebs finally broke through a minute later as Holland headed home a corner kick delivery from Stackpole.

With 33 minutes remaining to protect the win, the Rebels got the job done. As desperation grew the Tigers began to send more numbers forward but the Rebel defense was continually well positioned to keep LSU at bay. Ashley Orkus was never fully tested in goal but remained cool as ever between the posts, denying any chance of a comeback.

SHOW-STOPPING SHOT STOPPER
On Thursday, Ole Miss junior Ashley Orkus was named the SEC Goalkeeper of the Year, receiving all 13 possible votes for a unanimous selection. Additionally, the Vestavia Hills, Alabama, native was bestowed with First Team All-SEC honors, the first all-conference nod of her career. She becomes just the second Rebel keeper to ever be named all-conference and the first First Team All-SEC honoree to play between the posts at Ole Miss. Orkus finished the fall regular season ranked second in the SEC in saves with 49 and save percentage at .817. In addition to her outstanding play on the defensive side, the Rebel keeper also contributed to the offense with three assists, tied for fourth most in the league and 18th in the nation.

FOUR-PEAT'S SAKE
For the fourth time in her career, Channing Foster has been bestowed with All-SEC honors, earning first team all-conference recognition for the second-consecutive season. Foster becomes just the second player in program-history to receive all-league laurels for a fourth time, joining Rebel great Danielle Johnson. Foster, the SEC's active leading goal scorer, ranked tied for sixth in the league during the regular season with three goals. The Murray, Kentucky, native saved her scoring for big moments, with all three of her goals going down as game-winners. The prolific senior's 33 career goals are the sixth most in school-history, putting Foster 15 goals behind two-time All-American CeCe Kizer's program-record.

SMART COOKIE
The consummate example of what it means to be a student-athlete, senior Chanel Thomas was recognized for her outstanding achievements both on the pitch and in the classroom as the SEC Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year, sharing the honor with South Carolina's Lauren Chang. The only Rebel wearing the "SEC Graduate" patch on her shoulder this season, 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 plaudits 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

COMEBACK KIDS
In recent weeks the Ole Miss Rebels have shown a penchant for late-match dramatics, scoring twice from the 84th minute and beyond in each of the last two matches to erase deficitsand turn sure defeat into a thrilling victory. Ole Miss came storming back from a 2-0 hole against No. 14 Georgia in Oxford, eventually overcoming a 3-2 deficit behind an 84th minute half-volleyed goal from Madisyn Pezzino and a sumptuous free kick from just outside the 18 from Channing Foster with just 20 ticks remaining on the clock. One week later, the Rebs were back up to their old tricks at No. 13 Vanderbilt. Facing a 1-0 Commodore lead, the Rebs turned the match on its head as freshman Ramsey Davis bagged her first career goal in the 86th minute to deadlock the score and force overtime. Less than three minutes in, Foster redirected a free kick and found the corner for the golden goal winner.

DOING IT ALL
Following a standout performance in Ole Miss' 2-1 overtime win at No. 13 Vanderbilt, Rebel goalkeeper Ashley Orkus was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week. Orkus tied her season high with nine saves against the Commodores, one short of her career high of set in 2019. The junior also played a hand in the winning goal in overtime, earning an assist on Channing Foster's match-winner. For her efforts, Foster also earned a spot in the honorable mention section.

SUPER SUB
Needing just 36 minutes to provide an impact in Ole Miss' 4-3 victory over No. 14 Georgia, senior forward Madisyn Pezzino was recognized for her two-goal performance against the Bulldogs, being named the SEC's Offensive Player of the Week. Pezzino twice provided heroics to bring the Rebs back from behind in the match, scoring once in each half to bring the score level. The New York natives first score came in the 36th minute, helping Ole Miss enter halftime level after falling behind 2-0 early. Then, not more than a minute after hitting the crossbar, Pezzino buried a chance in the 84th minute to deadlock the score at 3-3, setting up for Ole Miss' dramatic late-game winner. Pezzino is the first Rebel to receive a weekly award from the SEC since Ashley Orkus was named the Defensive Player of the Week in 2019. Pezzino was also named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Honorable Mention Team of the Week.

HELLO FROM THE OTHER SIDE
Prior to Saturday night, no goalkeeper in the history of the Southeastern Conference had ever posted two assists in a single match. That changed during Ole Miss' 4-3 win over Georgia, with Ashley Orkus crossing the midfield stripe twice to serve in free kicks, both times combining with Molly Martin to result directly in Rebel goals. Orkus wasn't done there, the following week at Vanderbilt, Orkus again delivered a crucial assist from a free kick, teaming up with Martin once again to setup Channing Foster's golden goal in overtime. The three assists are good for a tie, along with Martin, for fourth most in the SEC and 18th in the nation.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Players Mentioned

Ramsey Davis

Channing Foster

Lucy Green

Sydney Ham

Saydie Holland

CeCe Kizer

Molly Martin

Sydney Michalak

Mo O'Connor

Ashley Orkus

Madisyn Pezzino

Taylor Radecki

Haleigh Stackpole

Chanel Thomas

The University of Mississippi Athletics