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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Georgia State
Soccer Set for Thursday Night Matchup Against Georgia State
8/21/2024 | Soccer
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss remains home for a pair of games this week beginning Thursday night as the Rebels prepare to face Georgia State. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT with Jake Hromada (pxp) and Ian Banner (analyst) on the call for SEC Network+.
QUICK KICKS
- Ole Miss opened its 2024 season with a 4-0 win against Southern for the first ever meeting between the two programs.
- Kayla Keefer earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors this past Monday.
- Keefer became the first freshman since Channing Foster in 2017 to record a hat trick and the 20th Rebel all-time to score three goals in a match.
- Ole Miss generated 33 shots, 16 of them being on goal in their opening win vs. Southern this past Thursday. It was the most shots by a Rebel team in a game since March 27, 2021 against Georgia Southern.
- 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, who accounted for 66.7 percent of total scoring and 52.2 percent of total points in 2023.
- Ole Miss returns 90 percent of its total assists, 84.8 percent of total points, and 83.3 percent of total goals from 2023.
- 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.
- The Rebels have added three freshmen from outside the U.S. in Katie Ramsden (England), Astrid Nyquist (Sweden), and Taylor Howarth (England).
FROM THE OPENER
11 new Rebels made their debut this past Thursday in the opening win against Southern. Three freshmen made their first collegiate start in Keefer, Katie Ramsden, and Tate Blincoe. Sophomore transfer keeper Taylor Prigge made the start in goal and combined with Sarah Margaret Seabrook for a shutout. Ramsden picked up her first career assist after a beautiful ball sent to Keefer off a corner kick.
Veteran Grace Freeman also had an assist in the season opener. Freeman threaded the needle in the opening minutes of the second half helping Keefer secure her hat trick. One of the top returning goal scorers for the Rebels picked up where she left off in Gili Johnson. The sophomore from Manhattan, Kansas picked up her first goal of 2024 after making a solo run from nearly midfield, finding the back of the net late in the second half.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Georgia State arrives in Oxford after a 2-2, draw in their season opener against Chattanooga. They are led by reigning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and Preseason Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year Aaliyah Faddoul and second-team All-Sun Belt goalkeeper Jaddah Foos. Faddoul was the Panthers top goal scorer a season ago, finding the back of the net seven times. Veteran Callee Maughon also returns having played every match last season. The Panthers have 12 true freshmen on their roster including six from the state of Georgia. They are led by head coach Ed Joyce who is in his ninth year at the helm of the program.
SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
The Southeastern Conference named Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania native Kayla Keefer as the SEC Soccer Freshman of the Week. Keefer picked up her first award after just one game on the pitch for the Rebels. She is the first Rebel since 2020 to receive Freshman of the Week honors.
Keefer became the first freshman since Channing Foster in 2017 to record a hat trick and the 20th Rebel all-time to score three goals in a match. She led an explosive offensive attack in which Ole Miss generated 33 shots, 16 of them being on goal in their opening win vs. Southern this past Thursday. It was the most shots by a Rebel team in a game since March 27, 2021 against Georgia Southern.
First of many for the freshman! ??
— Ole Miss Soccer (@OleMissSoccer) August 19, 2024
??: https://t.co/ClNTcWDawu pic.twitter.com/SsrCZxeu9N
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 Rebels’ 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.
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 Rebels’ 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.
STAY CONNECTED
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