Soccer Travels to No. 13 Vanderbilt to Conclude Regular Season

			OLE MISS (3-4-0, 3-4-0) at NO. 13 VANDERBILT (4-3-0, 4-3-0) Saturday, Nov. 7 • 6 p.m. • Nashville, Tenn. Vanderbilt Soccer Complex
WATCH • LIVE STATS • OLE MISS NOTES (PDF) • VANDERBILT NOTES (PDF) • SEC NOTES (PDF)

QUICK KICKS
• The Rebels are coming off of a thrilling come-from-behind 4-3 victory over No. 14 Georgia on Senior Day last Saturday.

• It was the first victory over a ranked opponent for Ole Miss since defeating No. 19 Florida 3-2 in 2019.

• After scoring a brace against the Bulldogs, Ole Miss senior Madisyn Pezzino was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week. Pezzino was also tabbed to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Honorable Mention Team of the Week.

• During the match, Ole Miss' Ashley Orkus became the first goalkeeper in SEC history to post two assists in a single match.

• It is the first weekly conference award for Ole Miss in 2020 and the first since Ashley Orkus garnered an SEC Defensive Player of the Week nod in 2019.

• Orkus ranks sixth in the nation and second in the SEC, registering 5.71 saves per match.

• After scoring just one goal in its first four matches, Ole Miss has tallied seven scores in its last three contests.

• The Rebels currently sit tied for seventh in the SEC standings with nine points, holding a 3-4-0 conference record.

• Not only are Ole Miss and Vanderbilt tied at 7-7-5 in the all-time series, the two sides are also split 3-3-3 when playing in Nashville.

• After losing three of its first four matches, Vanderbilt has won three-straight contests.

• Following last week's win over LSU, Vanderbilt entered the United Soccer Coaches Poll, coming in at No. 13.

SCOUTING VANDERBILT
The Vanderbilt Commodores are in their sixth season under head coach Darren Ambrose, who has built the VU program into one of the most consistently successful in the SEC in recent years. Under Ambrose, the Commodores have never won fewer than nine matches, including three-straight seasons with at least 13 victories and as many 16 in 2018. Vandy is coming off of back-to-back first place finishes in the SEC East.

The Commodores currently sit in the third spot in the SEC East, entering Saturday's regular season finale with a 4-3 overall record. Vanderbilt got off to a rough start, dropping three of its first four contests but has responded with three-straight wins, topping LSU 2-0 in Baton Rouge on Friday.

Vandy is led in scoring by All-American forward Haley Hopkins, who has found the back of the net three times in 2020 to bring her career mark to 30, two behind Channing Foster for the second most in the SEC actively. Meanwhile, senior Leila Azari has been providing much of the service for the Commmodores, leading the team with three assists while also chipping in one goal.

Between the posts, it's been a two-keeper show for the 'Dores. Senior Sarah Fuller has seen action in four matches, allowing three goals while making seven saves for a 0.70 goals against average and an .850 save percentage. Sophomore Sophie Guilmette has made three starts, allowing five goals with six saves for a 1.65 GAA and a .545 save percentage.

SERIES HISTORY - VANDERBILT
Over the years the battles between the Rebels and Commodores have been hotly contested, with the all-time series tied at 7-7-5. Vanderbilt held a sizeable advantage in the early years, winning the first three meetings, while Ole Miss won just one of the first 11 matchups. However, in recent years the momentum has swung towards the Rebels. Ole Miss has won six of the last 8 meetings, including a five-match winning streak from 2010-14. The two sides are deadlocked in all-time meetings in Nashville too, with each team posting a 3-3-3 record.

LAST MEETING - VANDERBILT (10/25/18)
OXFORD, Miss. - Overcoming wet and soggy conditions at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium, the Rebels put the cherry on top of Senior Day with a 1-0 win against seventh-ranked and SEC Regular Season Champion Vanderbilt.

After an initial feeling out period by both teams adjusting to the damp conditions in the early minutes of the match, Ole Miss took its lead in the 12th-minute via a free kick. Head coach Matt Mott called upon freshman Haleigh Stackpole to take the chance and the Fort Bragg, North Carolina, native made it pay off, driving a shot through the wall and tucking the ball inside the near post.

From there, the Rebels went to work defensively, through the break and throughout the second half. While Ole Miss was able to create some chances for a second score, the Commodores continued to pour numbers forward as the night wore on.

With the SEC's second-highest scoring team coming at them time and again, the Rebel defense stepped up each time it was called upon. Whenever the Rebels weren't able to get in front of a shot to deny a goal-scoring opportunity, goalkeeper Morgan McAslan stood tall to make the crucial save or catch.

The Commodores came within inches of tying the score in the 61st-minute when Madi Allen hit the crossbar with a bending ball from 24 yards out. Aside from that, the Rebels rarely allowed any of Vanderbilt's 17 shots to cause too much danger, surrendering just four attempts on goal.

LAST TIME IN NASHVILLE
The last time the Rebels visited the Music City, Ole Miss jumped ahead early but was unable to hold on, ultimately falling 4-1. Then junior Bella Fiorenzo pushed Ole Miss in front with a goal in the 30th minute with a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box. However, Vanderbilt tied the match just five minutes later behind Sydney O'Donnell's goal. The deadlock would last into halftime before Vandy took charge in the second half behind goals from Claire Anderson, Jackie Welch and Hannon Ebert.

ROSTER CONNECTIONS
Vanderbilt and Ole Miss share just one roster connection. Commodore senior Blue Ellis hails from Houston High School in Collierville, Tennessee. Similarly, Rebel sophomore Jenna Kemp played at Houston HS, though the Ole Miss midfielder calls Germantown, Tennessee, home.

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 resulting directly in Rebel goals. With those two assists, Orkus is now tied for the eighth most in the league among all players.

COMEBACK KIDS
Ole Miss twice battled back to overcome a deficit, defeating No. 14 Georgia on Senior Day for its first ranked win since upending No. 19 Florida in 2019. After Georgia took an early lead less than 20 minutes into the affair, Ole Miss tied the match at two goals apiece entering halftime behind scoring efforts from Haleigh Stackpole and Madisyn Pezzino. Georgia reclaimed the advantage in the 63rd minute but the Rebels never backed down, drawing the match level in the 84th minute on Pezzino's second of the night before Channing Foster slotted home a free kick opportunity with just 20 seconds left on the clock, pulling out a back handspring to celebrate the thrilling victory.

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.

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
Following Saturday's regular season finale, Ole Miss will turn its attention to the SEC Tournament in Orange Beach, Alabama. The tournament is slated for Nov. 13-22.

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

Bella Fiorenzo

Channing Foster

Lucy Green

Sydney Ham

Saydie Holland

Jenna Kemp

CeCe Kizer

Molly Martin

Sydney Michalak

Mo O'Connor

Ashley Orkus

Madisyn Pezzino

Taylor Radecki

Haleigh Stackpole

Chanel Thomas

The University of Mississippi Athletics