The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Southern
Soccer Opens 2024 Campaign Against Southern
8/14/2024 | Soccer
OXFORD, Miss. โ Year two of the Molly Rouse era begins Thursday as Ole Miss opens its regular season schedule at home against Southern. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT and can be streamed on SEC Network+.
QUICK KICKS
- Ole Miss opens its 2024 season Thursday against Southern for the first ever meeting between the two programs.
- Seventeen new faces, 12 freshmen and five transfers, joined the program this offseason.
- Ole Miss has a wealth of experience on the roster as well with 10 seniors playing their final season on the pitch in 2024.
- Kelly Brady, Aubrey Mister, Lauren Montgomery, Shu Ohba, and Hattie Patterson were all named to the 2024 SEC Preseason Watchlist.
- The Rebels return their top two goal scorers from last season in senior Kelly Brady and sophomore Gili Johnson.
- Brady became the first Rebel to score a hat trick since 2018 last season, scoring three goals in a match against Louisiana Tech.
- Senior keeper Shu Ohba led the SEC in saves (67) and ranked second in save percentage (.838) during the 2023 regular season.
- Ole Miss as a team ranked fourth in the SEC in goals allowed per game (1.18) and fourth in goals allowed on the season (20), held opponents to one or fewer goals in 12 of their 17 matches.
- Ohba returns to the Rebels after competing with Japanโs Womenโs National Team in the 2024 SheBelieves Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
- Ole Miss alum Rafaelle Souza competed in her third Olympic Games this summer with Brazil Womenโs National Team earning a silver medal in Paris.
- The Rebels have added three freshmen from outside the U.S. in Katie Ramsden (England), Astrid Nyquist (Sweden), and Taylor Howarth (England).
SNAPSHOT OF 2023
The Rebels finished the 2023 campaign with a 7-7-3 record including a 6-1-2 record at home. Ole Miss picked up a victory for first year head coach Molly Rouse in their opening game of the season with a 2-0, victory over Southern Miss. The team scored a season-high six goals against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 10 and won their SEC opener against LSU in a 1-0, victory at home. The Rebels picked up two more conference wins against Missouri and Kentucky but fell short of making the conference tournament at the conclusion of the regular season.
Ole Missโ 6-1-2 home record was its best record in Oxford since 2019 and their win over Missouri was their first since 2003. The Rebels ranked fourth in the SEC in goals allowed, holding opponents to one or fewer goals in 12 of their 17 matches. Eight different Rebels scored goals and 14 different Rebels earned points during the 2023 season.
BUILD
Molly Rouse enters year two at the helm of the Ole Miss Soccer program after being hired in May of 2023. She compiled a 7-7-3 record in year one, winning her first regular season game and her first conference game. The Rebels forced seven shutouts in 2023 and allowed one or fewer goals in 12 of the 17 matches. Ole Miss ranked fourth in the SEC in goals allowed per game (1.18) and fourth in goals allowed on the season (20).
PUT THE LEAGUE ON NOTICE
Five Rebels were named to the 2024 SEC Preseason Watchlist Wednesday morning including Kelly Brady, Aubrey Mister, Lauren Montgomery, Shu Ohba, and Hattie Patterson.
Brady returns for her senior season after leading the Rebel attack in 2023 with eight goals scored. She converted all three of her penalty kick opportunities and scored four game winners. Mister was the Rebelsโ assist leader last season and finished third on the team in points. Montgomery finished third on the team in minutes played and started in every game but one.
Ohba started 14 games in goal for the Rebels last year, putting up the fifth-lowest single season goals against average in program history. Patterson played in all 17 games on the back line as a freshman for the Rebels last year.
Shoutout to these 5?? Rebs earning a spot on the @SEC Preseason Watch List! ??
— Ole Miss Soccer (@OleMissSoccer) August 14, 2024
??Shu Ohba
?? Aubrey Mister
?? Lauren Montgomery
?? Kelly Brady
?? Hattie Patterson pic.twitter.com/f3BZxEGgvo
RETURNING FIREPOWER
Ole Miss will return its top two goal scorers from a season ago. Senior Kelly Brady led the team in goals scored, points, shots, shots on goal, and penalty kicks. She became the first Rebel to score a hat trick since 2018 and converted all three of the Rebelsโ penalty kick attempts on the year. Sophomore Gili Johnson finished second on the team in total points, goals scored, and shots on goal. She tallied four goals on the season including a brace against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 10. Johnson saw 860 minutes of action in her rookie season, appearing in all 17 games making 10 starts.
BRICK WALL
One of the premier keepers in the SEC returns between the posts in 2024 for the Rebels in Shu Ohba. Ohba enters fresh off competing with Team Japan as an alternate goalkeeper at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In her 15 games last season she led the SEC in saves and saves per match, making 67 saves for an average of 4.47 per game. Ohba ranked second in the conference in save percentage (.838) and posted seven shutouts in her 2023 campaign. She earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors twice, becoming the first Rebel since 2012 to do so. Ohba also received All-SEC Second Team honors and was selected to the 2023 United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region Team.
AN IMPRESSIVE FRESHMAN CLASS
The program welcomes 12 freshmen to the roster for the 2024 season. Kayla Keefer earned three varsity letters at Central Columbia and was named the 2023 Gatorade Player of the Year in Pennsylvania. The trio of Astrid Nyquist, Katie Ramsden and Taylor Howarth all hail from international countries. Tate Blincoe arrives in Oxford after lettering in soccer, football and track in high school.
Tatum Hofstetter and Sofia Barrie both come to Ole Miss from the state of Arizona and Grace Smith joins the Rebels from Cypress, Texas. Maryann Beach scored 44 goals and dished out 28 assists in her high school career while Ally Thomas looks to add length to the Rebel back line. Rounding out the newcomers is Georgia Skelton who led Atlee to a 2021 Region Championship and Adora Nwosu who was a dual-sport athlete at Aaron Academy.
THROUGH THE PORTAL
Five players joined the Rebels during the offseason in EK Uithoven, Bella Leonard, Erin Martin, Taylor Prigge, and Sarah Granno. Uithoven returns to the Magnolia state after three seasons in Tucson at Arizona. Sophomore Bella Leornard arrives in Oxford after one year at Notre Dame.
Senior Erin Martin appeared in 55 games at Georgetown, making 15 starts. She earned BIG EAST All-Freshman honors her rookie season and earned BIG EAST All-Academic accolades her sophomore campaign. Sophomore Taylor Prigge looks to bolster the goalkeeper room coming over from Utah.
Sophomore Sarah Granno arrives in Oxford after one season at Memphis. The Roseville, California native appeared in 15 matches and scored one goal for the Tigers.
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