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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Alabama
Soccer Travels to No. 5 Alabama Friday
10/1/2026 | Soccer
OXFORD, Miss. –Ole Miss Soccer travels to Tuscaloosa to face No. 5 Alabama on Friday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT at Alabama Soccer Stadium.
• Ole Miss is 5-0-0 in matches decided by one goal this season, including four 1-0 victories. The Rebels are also 7-0-0 when scoring first.
• The Rebels have recorded six shutouts through 12 matches, with six of their seven victories coming by shutout.
• Ole Miss has outshot its opponents 157-115, including a 58-43 advantage in shots on goal. The Rebels have also earned 76 corner kicks while allowing 44.
• Eight different Rebels have scored this season. Sarah Granno, Ava Ghoreishi, Teaghan Irvin and Becca Skinner share the team lead with two goals and five points apiece, while Ghoreishi leads Ole Miss with two game-winning goals.
• Isabella Pontieri leads Ole Miss with 23 shots and nine shots on goal. Ghoreishi ranks second on the team with eight attempts on target.
• Ole Miss has used 12 different starting lineup combinations through 12 matches, with 20 players earning at least one start. Granno, Maizy Kluksdal, Alena Watts and Allison Kolski have started every match, while Kolski is the only Rebel to play all 1,080 minutes.
A NEW ERA
Ole Miss begins a new chapter in 2026 under first-year head coach Todd Shulenberger, who was named the fourth head coach in program history on Dec. 1, 2025.
Shulenberger came to Oxford after 11 seasons at Washington State, where he became the winningest coach in program history with a 113-67-34 record. He led the Cougars to five NCAA Tournament appearances, including the program’s first College Cup appearance in 2019.
During his time at Washington State, Shulenberger coached 43 all-conference selections and 10 players who were drafted into the NWSL or USL Super League.
LAST TIME OUT
Ole Miss fell 2-0 to Texas on Sunday afternoon at Ole Miss Soccer Stadium. The loss moved the Rebels to 7-5-0 overall and 0-4-0 in Southeastern Conference play. Ashlyn Anderson opened the scoring for the Longhorns just 70 seconds into the match, finishing off an assist from Alicia Riggins. Ole Miss responded with nine first-half shots and placed three attempts on goal, but Texas goalkeeper Bayliss Flynn made each save to preserve the lead. Ava McDonald doubled the Longhorns’ advantage at the 61:34 mark off an assist from Vivian Geesbreght. The Rebels finished with a 16-13 advantage in shots and a 7-4 edge in corner kicks, while both teams placed five attempts on goal. Sarah Granno led Ole Miss with three shots, while Evie Ewing, Ava Ghoreishi and Ryann Reynolds recorded two apiece. Taylor Prigge played all 90 minutes in goal and finished with three saves.
SCOUTING REPORT: ALABAMA
No. 5 Alabama enters Friday’s match with an 11-1-0 overall record and a 4-0-0 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The Crimson Tide opened conference action with three consecutive shutout victories against Auburn, Arkansas and Texas A&M before earning a 3-1 road win over No. 21 Oklahoma. Alabama has allowed just one goal through four SEC matches and has recorded seven shutouts overall.
Alabama has outscored its opponents 27-11 this season while averaging 2.25 goals and 15.3 shots per match. Larkin Thomason leads the Crimson Tide with nine goals, two assists and 20 points. She has scored three game-winning goals and converted all six of her penalty-kick attempts. Ashley Roni ranks second with six goals and 14 points, while Kennedy Garcia has added three goals and seven points. In goal, Madi Munguia owns an 11-1-0 record with a 0.92 goals-against average, 37 saves, a .771 save percentage and seven shutouts. Alabama is led by head coach Wes Hart.
A GLANCE AT 2025
Ole Miss finished the 2025 season 4-8-3 overall, including a 3-3-2 record at home. The Rebels went 4-1 in non-conference play and began the year with wins in four of their first five matches.
The Rebels scored 13 goals in 2025, with eight of those goals coming from players who return to the 2026 roster. Ole Miss also recorded four shutouts, including three straight clean sheets against Southern Miss, UT Martin and Louisiana.
RETURNING PRODUCTION
Katie Ramsden returns after leading Ole Miss in goals, points, shots and shots on goal in 2025. Ramsden started all 15 matches and finished the season with four goals, one assist, nine points, 24 shots and 11 shots on goal.
Sarah Granno also returns after finishing second on the team with two goals and five points. Tate Blincoe and Evie Ewing each scored one goal last season, giving the Rebels four returning goal scorers from the 2025 roster.
BETWEEN THE POSTS
The Ole Miss goalkeeper room features Taylor Prigge, Anna Claire Jacobi and Sienna Smart in 2026.
Prigge returns after appearing in five matches and making four starts last season. She posted a team-best .750 save percentage, made 21 saves and recorded one shutout. Jacobi comes to Oxford from Appalachian State, while Smart joins the Rebels from Michigan.
ROSTER RESET
The Rebels enter the 2026 season with a 30-player roster that features a mix of returning experience, transfer additions and high school signees.
A total of 14 transfers and three true freshmen round out the 17 newcomers. The roster includes student-athletes from 16 states, as well as Katie Ramsden, a native of Leeds, England.
TRANSFER TRAIL
Ole Miss enters 2026 with a roster that features a strong transfer presence, including eight players who followed Todd Shulenberger from Washington State.
Audrey Shackelford, Keira Mitchell, Alena Watts, Maizy Kluksdal, Ava Ghoreishi, Becca Skinner, Isabelle Wright and Jenna Studer all list Washington State as their previous college.
HERMANN WATCH
Isabella Pontieri became the latest Rebel to earn national preseason recognition after being named to the 2026 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy NCAA Division I Women’s Players to Watch List by United Soccer Coaches.
Pontieri was one of 45 midfielders added to the watch list and one of seven from the SEC. The North Florida transfer came to Oxford after playing in 57 matches from 2023-25, scoring 14 goals and adding 12 assists over more than 2,700 minutes.
In 2025, Pontieri earned first-team All-ASUN honors after leading the conference in assists, shots on goal, total shots and game-winning goals. She finished the season with 10 assists, 44 shots on goal, 101 total shots, five game-winning goals and eight goals.
PRESEASON NODS
Ole Miss had five players selected to the 2026 SEC Soccer Preseason Watch List, with Paxton Bock, Ava Ghoreishi, Audrey Shackelford, Jenna Studer and Alena Watts earning recognition from the league office.
All five Rebels are in their first season at Ole Miss. Bock comes to Oxford after spending two seasons at SMU, while Ghoreishi, Shackelford, Studer and Watts all transferred from Washington State. Shackelford earned All-WCC Second Team honors in 2025 after scoring two goals and adding four assists, while Studer enters the season with 75 career matches and more than 5,000 minutes played.
STAY CONNECTED
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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.
