.png&width=48&height=48&type=webp)
The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Duke
Rebels Take On Duke in Sweet 16
5/4/2021 | Soccer
Ole Miss and Duke Kick Off at 11 a.m. CT
 |
No. 15 OLE MISS (10-5-2, 4-4-0) vs. No. 6 Duke (11-5-3, 4-2-2) Wednesday, May 5 • 11 a.m. CT • Cary, N.C. WakeMed Park |
 |
||||||
| WATCH • LIVE STATS • DIGITAL PROGRAM (PDF) OLE MISS NOTES (PDF) • DUKE NOTES (PDF) • SEC NOTES (PDF) |
||||||||
QUICK KICKS
• The Rebels punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 for the second time in program history after completing the come-from-behind 3-2 upset victory over No. 8 national seed USC in penalties. Two second-half goals from Haleigh Stackpole and Ramsey Davis were instrumental in the comeback effort.
• Junior Ashley Orkus was tabbed National Player of the Week by TopDrawerSoccer following a dominant performance in goal during the Rebels' first two round matches. She is the first ever Rebel to earn TDS Player of the Week honors and the first National Player of the Week honor since CeCe Kizer was named the United Soccer Coaches Player of the Week in 2018.
• After knocking off the Trojans, No. 15 Ole Miss has a date with No. 6 Duke in the Sweet 16. The two teams will meet on the pitch for the second time ever Wednesday at 11 a.m. CT.
• Ole Miss advanced to the NCAA Second Round for the fifth time in program history after knocking off Bowling Green, 4-3, in a penalty shootout.
• The Rebels checked in a No. 15 in the most recent Top Drawer Soccer Poll. They are now ranked in both polls for the first time this season.
• After posting a 4-5 record in the fall, Ole Miss locked in to go undefeated in the spring. The Rebels won all six of their spring regular season matches by a combined score of 14-2.
• During the 2020-21 season, four Rebels garnered SEC Player of the Week plaudits. Madisyn Pezzino was named offensive player of the week back on November 2, while Haleigh Stackpole, Ramsey Davis and Price Loposer claimed the awards during the spring campaign. The four conference honors are the most in a single season in program history.
• Ahead of the spring season, Channing Foster and Ashley Orkus were among the 56 athletes named to the watchlist for the 2020-21 MAC Hermann Trophy, the most prestigious individual award in college soccer.
• With the 32nd pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft, the Chicago Red Stars selected Channing Foster. The Senior Forward is returning to Ole Miss for the spring season and plans to play in the Fall of 2021 as well.
• In November, the SEC released 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.
REBELS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The Rebels are taking part in their ninth ever NCAA Tournament, having registered a record of 4-7-4. Ole Miss advanced through the first two rounds, outlasting Bowling Green, 4-3, in penalty kicks in the first round and upsetting No. 8 national seed USC, 3-2, in another shootout to punch its ticket to the Sweet 16 for the second time in program history. The Rebels are looking to knock off another blue-blood of college soccer and advance to the Elite 8 for the first time. Further, in its last four trips to the postseason, Ole Miss has moved on to the second round three times, with two Sweet 16 berths. Head coach Matt Mott has guided the Rebels to five NCAA appearances, including another Sweet 16 appearance in 2015 where the Rebels defeated Murray State 1-0 and took down No. 7 national seed Clemson on penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie through two overtimes and this season's magical run. Qualifying for the Soccer Championship has become a yearly goal for Ole Miss, who is making its fifth appearance in the tournament in the last eight seasons.
SWEET, SWEET VICTORY
Ole Miss soccer punched its ticket to its second Sweet 16 in program history, advancing past No. 8 national seed USC, 3-2 on penalty kicks, in a come-from-behind shootout victory. Ashley Orkus made 11 total saves to keep the Rebels' magical run in North Carolina alive. Ole Miss fell behind early as the Trojans jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first half. Despite being down two goals, Ole Miss never gave up. The Rebels were finally able to break through on a long throw-in after the ball found Haleigh Stackpole in the box. She took advantage of an open look, burying the ball in the back of the net in the 68th minute. Ten minutes later, freshman Ramsey Davis sent a banger past the USC keeper off a Stackpole corner kick to tie things up. The match went on to a penalty shootout after two overtime periods weren't enough. The Rebels seemed to have all the energy, and it showed as Channing Foster started things off with a score and Orkus blocked the first two Trojan attempts. USC managed to tie things up on the third PK and matched Molly Martin by making the fourth kick. O'Connor stepped up once again, sending the deciding shot into the net with more than enough pace, and Orkus slammed the door on USC to cap off the comeback.
SCOUTING DUKE
The Blue Devils are making their 26th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Duke is 41-22-10 all-time in tournament games. Under head coach Robbie Church, Duke is 35-16-9 in the tournament with eight quarterfinal appearances and three trips to the College Cup (2011, '15, '17). After posting a 10-5-3 record in the regular season, the Blue Devils earned the No. 9 overall seed in this year's tournament.
Duke earned a first round bye in the tournament and is coming off a 2-1 victory over Arizona State in double-overtime. It opened the scoring in the 29th minute as Tess Boade scored her sixth goal of the season. The Sun Devils would answer in the 86th minute to send the match into extra time. Three minutes into the second overtime period, sophomore Sophie Jones scored the game-winner for the Blue Devils, sending a cross into the bottom corner of the net.
Offensively, the Blue Devils are led by a pair of forwards in Olivia Migli and Boade, who each have six goals on the season. Senior defender Caitlin Cosme has also contributed to the offense, punching in five goals herself. Duke also moves the ball well in the attacking third. Marykate McGuire leads the team with six assists and is followed by teammates Mackenzie Pluck and Delaney Grahm with five assists each.
In goal, Ruthie Jones has started every match since sitting on the sideline in Duke's season opener. The sophomore has only allowed 14 goals through 18 games while recording 46 saves. The Blue Devils' backline is also rich in veteran experience, as Mia Gyau, Caitlin Cosme, Taylor Mitchell and Delaney Graham have logged a combined 245 games played over the last five years.
SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss and Duke will meet for the second time ever in the history of both programs. The two Sweet 16 contenders last played on September 4, 2011, in the Auburn Tournament, where the Blue Devils came out on top 1-0. Ole Miss is 4-7-4 in its tournament history. It is playing in its second-ever Sweet 16 and is looking to make its first trip to the Elite 8.
LAST MEETING
AUBURN, Ala. - The Ole Miss soccer team played tough with No. 6 Duke but the Rebels fell to the Blue Devils, 1-0, at the Auburn Tournament in a neutral site match. The Blue Devils scored the game-winner in the 76th minute as Kelly Cobb hit a shot from the six into the corner off an assist from Mollie Pathman.
Allie Ronaldi made six saves in goal for the Rebels. It was the first goal allowed that year by the Rebels, and it stopped Ole Miss' scoreless streak at 455 minutes. The Ole Miss defense faced 21 shots from Duke but allowed just seven of those shots to be on goal. The Rebels recorded four shots of their own, with two on goal. Dylan Jordan and Alix Hildal each recorded a shot on goal for Ole Miss.
SHINING ON THE BIG STAGE
Following a pair of dominating performances in goal to lead Ole Miss soccer to its second ever Sweet 16, Ashley Orkus was named National Player of the Week by TopDrawerSoccer. The Vestavia Hills, Alabama, native logged 220 minutes on the pitch between the Rebels' first two round matches and recorded 17 saves, including seven on penalty kicks. Against Bowling Green, the SEC Goalkeeper of the Year stepped into the box for the penalty shootout and saved three attempts, helping send Ole Miss into the second round. On Friday, versus No. 8 national seed USC, Orkus kept her composure in goal after two early Trojan goals. The junior made two saves in each half to help the Rebels turn the momentum in their favor and tie things up at 2-2. After Orkus stopped a penalty kick in the golden goal overtime session to keep the Rebels alive, Ole Miss went on to complete the upset in comeback fashion in a penalty shootout. Orkus once again came in clutch, saving three of the Trojans' five attempts. This marks the second time this season she has been named to the TDS Team of the Week, doing so after the Rebels knocked off No. 13 Vanderbilt, 2-1, in the fall.
CARDIAC REBELS
In two games so far at the 2020 NCAA Soccer Championship, No. 15 Ole Miss has played the full 90 minutes plus two overtime periods. After the score was deadlocked 0-0 against Bowling Green in the first round, the Rebels and the Falcons went into a penalty shootout. With everyone's heart racing, Ole Miss converted its third, fourth, sixth and seventh attempt, while SEC Goalkeeper of the Year, Ashley Orkus, saved BGSU's second, fourth and fifth try, with the final attempt going off the post to win it for the Rebels. In its second round match with USC, Ole Miss once again went to penalty kicks after erasing a two-goal deficit in the second half. Fans could feel their hearts racing again, but the Cardiac Rebels confidently took the pitch and put all five attempts on frame, converting three of them. Orkus stepped into the goal again and finished off the upset, blocking the Trojans' final attempt. She was met in the box by her sprinting teammates and buried in a dogpile, capping off an instant classic. Ole Miss has now played four matches in its tournament history that have gone to a penalty shootout and has advanced to the next round in three of those matches.
NOT DONE YET
Ashley Orkus saved three penalty shots and Mo O'Connor scored the game winner in a dramatic shootout as Ole Miss soccer advanced past Bowling Green in the first round of the 2020 NCAA Soccer Championship Tuesday night. With the victory, the Rebels advance to the second round for the fifth time in program history. Regulation and two overtimes weren't enough as Ole Miss and Bowling Green went seven rounds in penalty kicks at the UNCW Soccer Stadium. Ole Miss fell behind 0-1 after two rounds but remained undetered. Haleigh Stackpole and BGSU's Nikki Cox traded goals in the third set of penalty kicks. Madisyn Pezzino stepped up to the dot for the fourth round and calmly slotted her shot into the corner, tying things up at two apiece. After both teams missed their fifth attempt, Ole Miss and Bowling Green moved to a sudden death scenario. After Lucy Green converted on the Rebels' sixth attempt, BGSU's Jasmijn Dijsselhof knotted things back up as she was able to get one by Orkus and keep the Falcons alive. Oxford native Mo O'Connor came in to take the seventh kick for the Rebels, sending a rocket past the diving keeper. With the Falcons needing a conversion to keep things alive, the ensuing shot careened off the post and out, sending the Rebels into a frenzy.
CAROLINA IS CALLING
Following an undefeated spring season, Ole Miss soccer has earned an at-large bid for the 2021 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship held in North Carolina. It marks the third time in the last four seasons that Ole Miss has punched its ticket to the "Big Dance" and the fifth time in the Mott era. The Rebels last appeared in the NCAA Tournament back in 2018, when they defeated Clemson 2-1 on the road to advance to the second round. Ole Miss, has been perfect this spring, winning all six matches to bring its overall record up to 10-5. Clicking on all cylinders, the Rebels are ready to make a run in Wilmington.
BEAST MODE
After netting her third collegiate goal in Ole Miss soccer's 3-0 victory over South Alabama, forward Ramsey Davis garnered SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Davis, who scored for the Rebels in the 84th minute, claimed the first SEC weekly honor of her young career. With under 10 minutes to play, the Rebels were still battling to put one more on the board. Davis flanked left as Haleigh Stackpole and Madisyn Pezzino worked the ball inside the box. After Pezzino was unable to make clean contact on her shot attempt, Davis swooped in to clean things up and launch the ball into the upper 90, putting the final nail in to coffin. The Tulsa, Oklahoma, native has played a key role in the Rebels' success this spring, helping the team rattle off an impressive 6-0 record.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT
Following a stout defensive performance in the clean sheet victory over Arkansas State, freshman defender Price Loposer has been named SEC Defensive Player of the Week, the first SEC weekly honor of her career. The freshman shut down the Sun Belt's second-leading scorer in Sarah Sodoma and helped keep the Red Wolves off the board, holding them to four shots the entire game. The Madison, Mississippi, native also eliminated the only real threat in the 31st minute as she chased down one of the Red Wolves' attackers on a breakaway and made a clutch tackle inside the box. Starting each of her last 11 matches, Loposer has been a key addition to the Rebel backline this season. She is averaging over 82 minutes per game. Ole Miss is 9-2 with Loposer in the starting XI, including six straight wins this spring.
LANDSHARK DEFENSE
At Ole Miss, Landshark is a term that was first adopted by the Rebel football team's defensive unit. As part of that identity, defensive players celebrate big plays by putting a hand to their forehead in the shape of a shark fin. This spring, a different football team on campus has adopted the Landshark defensive mindset. The Rebels held all of their spring regular season opponents to under 10 shots in a match, including holding Samford to five shots, Georgia Southern to two shots and Arkansas State to four shots in clean sheet victories.
WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS
During the month of March, Ole Miss had a flurry of offense, scoring three goals in each match. Against Memphis, the Rebels scored three times in a span of 11 minutes in the second half, with two goals coming from Haleigh Stackpole off both her left and right feet (47' and 52'). Saydie Holland also cleaned up a shot in the 58th minute, sending it into the back of the net. Five days later against Georgia, the Rebels scored three times in 10 minutes in the first half. Jenna Kemp recorded her first collegiate goal in the 22nd minute, followed by a Mo O'Connor goal six minutes later. Ramsey Davis capped off the scoring attack with a banger in the 32nd minute.
To close out the month, the Rebels put up 34 shots and scored three times against Georgia Southern. Two of those goals came within 57 seconds of each other. In the 16th minute, O'Connor slipped a pass to Channing Foster, who struck the ball far post past the Georgia Southern keeper from the left edge of the six-yard box. Fifty-seven seconds later, Molly Martin punched in a goal after Stackpole poked it towards her on a long throw-in. Jenna Kemp scored the final goal of the afternoon, sending home a cross from Stackpole with her head 33 seconds into the second half.
DERBY DUB
Haleigh Stackpole's brace and a flurry of offense to start the second half helped the Rebels dominate Memphis, 3-1, in the 23rd iteration of the derby between the two sides. Ole Miss came out of the half with a chip on its shoulder after the Tigers scored a last-second goal with a just a couple of tenths of a second left on the clock. Stackpole scored twice in the first eight minutes of the half as the Rebels pressed the Memphis back line and took the lead. Saydie Holland added the dagger in the 58th minute to give Ole Miss a two goal advantage. Orkus locked down the goal making five saves in the match. With the victory, the Rebels earned their first win in the rivalry in three years.
AND WITH THE 32ND PICK…
For the second time in three years, an Ole Miss Rebel heard her name called during the National Women's Soccer League College Draft, with senior Channing Foster being selected with the 32nd overall pick by the Chicago Red Stars. Despite the opportunity to enter the professional ranks, Foster intends to return to Ole Miss for a fifth season of eligibility in the fall of 2021 and will suit up for the Rebels this spring. The Murray, Kentucky, native is a familiar face to the Red Stars organization, having played for the club's Women's Premier Soccer League affiliate, helping lead the Chicago Red Stars Reserves to a WPSL Central Region Championship. The Reds Stars have also been on the wrong end of the senior's lethal left foot, with Foster scoring a stoppage time winner for the U-23 USWNT over Chicago in the 2019 Thorns Spring Invitational.
BEST OF THE BEST
Ole Miss' Channing Foster and Ashley Orkus are among 56 athletes have been named to the 2020-21 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer and is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female players of the year. The duo become the first Rebels to be named to the coveted watch list since CeCe Kizer in 2018. Ole Miss is one of six SEC schools with at least one player named to the watch list and one of three with multiple honorees, joining Arkansas and Texas A&M.
SOCCER INKS NINE TO CLASS OF 2021
The Rebel coaching staff scoured the entirety of the south to bring in some of the nation's top talent, plucking the seven soon-to-be rookies from six different states. Adding to an Ole Miss roster that features standout performers from all around the country, Mott and his staff dipped into the talent pool in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee to continue to build the roster's depth. Mott signed defender Kaitlin Maynard, a pair of midfielders in Ellie McIntyre and Lauren Montgomery and a trio of forwards, Amber Fortenberry, Maddie Bishop and Whitaker Buchanan. He also went out and added Canadian goalkeeper Alyssa Zalac to the signing class in late January and defender Lily Logan in April.
Rounding out the 2021 class is Shea O'Malley from Cary, North Carolina. The defender was ranked as the No. 25 recruit in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer and was called up to the United States U17 Women's National Team. O'Malley graduated high school early and is on campus training with the Rebels. She isn't eligible to play during the spring season but will be on the pitch in the fall.
GAS IN THE TANK
Over her first three 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 51 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, and was on the pitch for the entirety of every game during the shortened fall season.
SHOW-STOPPING SHOT STOPPER
In November, 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.
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, finding the corner for the golden goal winner.
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 was 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 October 31, 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. During the fall, the three assists were 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.
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.
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".
