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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Memphis
Soccer Welcomes No. 10 Memphis Sunday Night
8/24/2024 | Soccer
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss wraps up the weekend under the lights Sunday against No. 10 Memphis. Kick off is set for 7 p.m. CT with Jake Hromada (pxp) and Ian Banner) having the call for SEC Network +.
QUICK KICKS
- Ole Miss enters after a 2-0 win over Georgia Southern this past Thursday.
- Astrid Nyquist and Sarah Granno recorded their first career goal for the Rebels in the victory.
- All six of the Rebel goals this season have come from underclassmen: Freshmen (4) and sophomores (2).
- 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).
LAST TIME OUT
Ole Miss enters Sunday’s match after a 2-0 win over Georgia State. Freshman Astrid Nyquist and sophomore transfer Sarah Granno provided two goals late in the second half to push the Rebels into the win column Thursday. Nyquist, one of three Rebels to sign from outside the U.S. collected her first collegiate goal in the 68th minute. Evie Ewing sent a cross into the box that Kayla Keefer was able to get a touch on and deliver the ball to Nyquist who found the back of the net. It was the first assist of the year for both Ewing and Keefer.
Ole Miss would capitalize again with Granno scoring her first goal as a Rebel in the 75th. Senior Aubrey Mister delivered a ball into the attacking zone that Granno was able to get a touch on and slip by the goalkeeper. The foursome of Katie Ramsden, Hattie Patterson, Tate Blincoe, and Riley Friesen kept the back line clean for the Rebels. They combined with keeper Taylor Prigge to force the team’s second straight shutout to start the season.
ANOTHER ONE ?? pic.twitter.com/O8YQZZAWFh
— Ole Miss Soccer (@OleMissSoccer) August 23, 2024
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Memphis comes to Oxford after a 2-0 win over Missouri last Sunday in Columbia. They rank 10th in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and eighth in the TopDrawerSoccer standings. The Tigers are coming off a 20-win season, one of four teams to do so in 2023 and the second 20-win year in school history. Returning from that historic Tiger team are AAC Midfielder of the Year Momo Nakao, AAC Goalkeeper of the Year Kaylie Bierman and AAC Co-Rookie of the Year Anna Hauer. Brooks Monaghan is in his 25th season at the helm of the Tigers. He joined a list of 45 Division I women's soccer coaches to win 300 career games, and he is one of 17 to reach the milestone with the same Division I 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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