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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, October 18
Oxford, Miss.
7 PM
Ole Miss
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Mississippi State
Soccer Hosts No. 3 Mississippi State in Magnolia Cup Battle Friday Night
10/17/2024 | Soccer
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss looks to build off a 2-2 draw in last Sunday's match against No. 23 South Carolina as the Rebels host No. 3 Mississippi State Friday night in Oxford. The Magnolia Cup battle is set for 7 p.m. CT with Jake Hromada (pxp), Ian Banner (analyst), and Keiran Lencheski (sideline) on the call for SEC Network+.
QUICK KICKS
Ole Miss grinded out their first conference point of the season against No. 23 South Carolina in a 2-2 draw this past Sunday. The Rebels were lifted by goals from Kate Smith and Kelly Brady. Carolina struck first in the 11th minute with a goal from freshman Katie Shae Collins. Smith responded in the 40th minute with an unreal goal tying the game at one. South Carolina drew a penalty kick in the 75th minute, which was converted by Cat Barry, putting the Gamecocks up 2-1. Ole Miss drew a penalty of their own in the 85th minute with Kelly Brady taking the PK. Her attempt was saved by South Carolina keeper Christina Tsaousis, but Brady converted on the deflection, tying the game at 2-2. Neither side could scratch across the game winner giving the Rebels their first point in conference play.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
No. 3 Mississippi State (12-1-0, 6-0-0 SEC) enters after a 5-0 route of Missouri this past Sunday. The Bulldogs sit atop the conference standings with 18 points and a perfect 6-0 record. Ally Perry leads State in scoring this season with eight goals and 18 points. Hannah Johnson leads the Bulldogs in helpers with six. The back line has been tremendous for State all season as the team has allowed just three goals in 2024. Goalkeeper Maddy Anderson is a front runner for SEC Defensive Player of the Year as she's tallied 10 shutouts in 2024. Mississippi State is led by James Armstrong who is in his sixth season at the helm of the Bulldogs.
AS CONSISTENT AS THEY COME
Senior keeper Shu Ohba has been terrific in goal for the Rebels this season and passed the 250 career saves mark against Texas A&M on October 4th. The Fujisawa, Japan native is third in the SEC this season in saves (56) and second in saves per game (4.67). Ohba has made 37 stops over her last six starts. She made a season-high nine saves at LSU on September 22, good for the most saves she's made in an Ole Miss uniform.
IN THE TRENCHES
The defensive front for Ole Miss has been the strength of the group in 2024. The trio of Hattie Patterson, Tate Blincoe, and Riley Friesen have started 14 of 16 games on the pitch with each seeing over 1,200 minutes of action. The Rebels have four shutout wins this season all coming on home soil and eight games allowing one or fewer goals.
SPREADING THE LOVE
Eleven different players have scored through 16 games in 2024. Kayla Keefer and Kelly Brady lead the team with four goals each. Kate Smith has tallied a pair of goals this season and Evie Ewing, Sarah Granno, Gili Johnson, Bella Leonard, Astrid Nyquist, Grace Freeman, Aubrey Mister, and Katie Ramsden each have one. In four of their five wins this season, the Rebels have generated 15 or more shots. Across the five matches they have outshot their opponents (93-36), good for a plus 57 margin. Ole Miss generated 33 shots, 16 of them being on goal in their opening win vs. Southern. It was the most shots by a Rebel team in a game since March 27, 2021 against Georgia Southern.
SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
The Southeastern Conference named Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania native Kayla Keefer as the SEC Soccer Freshman of the Week on August 19. 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. It was the most shots by a Rebel team in a game since March 27, 2021 against Georgia Southern.
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
Get rewarded for attending events by joining Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola, the official fan loyalty program of the Ole Miss Rebels. Download the Ole Miss Sports mobile app, sign up for a Rebel Rewards account, and start earning points immediately that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes and experiences.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Soccer on X at @OleMissSoccer, on the Ole Miss Soccer Facebook page, and on Instagram at @officialolemisssoccer. Subscribe to the Ole Miss soccer newsletter stay up to date with the best content from the pitch.
QUICK KICKS
- Ole Miss enters after a 2-2 draw against No. 23 South Carolina this past Sunday.
- The Rebels and Bulldogs last met on October 8, 2023, in Starkville. Ole Miss leads the all-time series 15-10-5.
- The last top five victory for the Rebels came against No. 5 LSU on September 23, 2021. Ole Miss won that game 2-0 in Oxford.
- Ole Miss picked up their first conference point of the season in the draw against South Carolina.
- Shu Ohba reached the 250 career save mark against Texas A&M on October 4th.
- Ohba ranks third in the SEC with 56 stops on the season. She made a season-high nine saves in the match at LSU on Sept. 22 for the most saves she's made in an Ole Miss uniform.
- Kayla Keefer leads the Rebels in scoring with four goals and two assists for 10 total points.
- Katie Ramsden leads the Rebels in assists with three.
- 11 players have scored a goal this season: Kayla Keefer (4), Kelly Brady (4), Kate Smith (2), Evie Ewing, Sarah Granno, Gili Johnson, Bella Leonard, Astrid Nyquist, Grace Freeman, Aubrey Mister, and Katie Ramsden each have one.
- In four of the five wins this season, the Rebels have generated 15 or more shots: Southern (33), Georgia State (15), McNeese (22), and at Samford (16).
- 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 grinded out their first conference point of the season against No. 23 South Carolina in a 2-2 draw this past Sunday. The Rebels were lifted by goals from Kate Smith and Kelly Brady. Carolina struck first in the 11th minute with a goal from freshman Katie Shae Collins. Smith responded in the 40th minute with an unreal goal tying the game at one. South Carolina drew a penalty kick in the 75th minute, which was converted by Cat Barry, putting the Gamecocks up 2-1. Ole Miss drew a penalty of their own in the 85th minute with Kelly Brady taking the PK. Her attempt was saved by South Carolina keeper Christina Tsaousis, but Brady converted on the deflection, tying the game at 2-2. Neither side could scratch across the game winner giving the Rebels their first point in conference play.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
No. 3 Mississippi State (12-1-0, 6-0-0 SEC) enters after a 5-0 route of Missouri this past Sunday. The Bulldogs sit atop the conference standings with 18 points and a perfect 6-0 record. Ally Perry leads State in scoring this season with eight goals and 18 points. Hannah Johnson leads the Bulldogs in helpers with six. The back line has been tremendous for State all season as the team has allowed just three goals in 2024. Goalkeeper Maddy Anderson is a front runner for SEC Defensive Player of the Year as she's tallied 10 shutouts in 2024. Mississippi State is led by James Armstrong who is in his sixth season at the helm of the Bulldogs.
AS CONSISTENT AS THEY COME
Senior keeper Shu Ohba has been terrific in goal for the Rebels this season and passed the 250 career saves mark against Texas A&M on October 4th. The Fujisawa, Japan native is third in the SEC this season in saves (56) and second in saves per game (4.67). Ohba has made 37 stops over her last six starts. She made a season-high nine saves at LSU on September 22, good for the most saves she's made in an Ole Miss uniform.
IN THE TRENCHES
The defensive front for Ole Miss has been the strength of the group in 2024. The trio of Hattie Patterson, Tate Blincoe, and Riley Friesen have started 14 of 16 games on the pitch with each seeing over 1,200 minutes of action. The Rebels have four shutout wins this season all coming on home soil and eight games allowing one or fewer goals.
SPREADING THE LOVE
Eleven different players have scored through 16 games in 2024. Kayla Keefer and Kelly Brady lead the team with four goals each. Kate Smith has tallied a pair of goals this season and Evie Ewing, Sarah Granno, Gili Johnson, Bella Leonard, Astrid Nyquist, Grace Freeman, Aubrey Mister, and Katie Ramsden each have one. In four of their five wins this season, the Rebels have generated 15 or more shots. Across the five matches they have outshot their opponents (93-36), good for a plus 57 margin. Ole Miss generated 33 shots, 16 of them being on goal in their opening win vs. Southern. It was the most shots by a Rebel team in a game since March 27, 2021 against Georgia Southern.
SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
The Southeastern Conference named Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania native Kayla Keefer as the SEC Soccer Freshman of the Week on August 19. 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. It was the most shots by a Rebel team in a game since March 27, 2021 against Georgia Southern.
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
Get rewarded for attending events by joining Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola, the official fan loyalty program of the Ole Miss Rebels. Download the Ole Miss Sports mobile app, sign up for a Rebel Rewards account, and start earning points immediately that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes and experiences.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Soccer on X at @OleMissSoccer, on the Ole Miss Soccer Facebook page, and on Instagram at @officialolemisssoccer. Subscribe to the Ole Miss soccer newsletter stay up to date with the best content from the pitch.
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