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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
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Mississippi State
Soccer Set for First SEC Road Test at Auburn
9/17/2026 | Soccer
OXFORD, Miss. –Ole Miss Soccer travels to Auburn, Alabama, to take on the Tigers for its first conference road game of the season on Friday. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT.
QUICK KICKS
• The Rebels have recorded six shutouts through nine matches, holding opponents scoreless in four of their past five contests.
• Ole Miss has outshot its opponents 131-68, including a 51-25 advantage in shots on goal. The Rebels have earned 61 corner kicks while allowing just 27.
• Eight different Rebels have scored at least one goal this season. Sarah Granno, Ava Ghoreishi, Teaghan Irvin and Becca Skinner share the team lead with two goals and five points apiece. Ghoreishi leads Ole Miss with two game-winning goals.
• Ole Miss has used nine different starting lineups through nine matches, with 18 players earning at least one start. Granno, Maizy Kluksdal, Alena Watts, Allison Kolski and Jenna Studer have started every match.
• Ole Miss is 4-2-0 at home and remains unbeaten with a 3-0-0 road record.
• Taylor Prigge has contributed to six of the Rebels’ shutouts, recording four solo shutouts and sharing two with Anna Claire Jacobi.
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 opened Southeastern Conference play with a 4-1 loss to Mississippi State on Friday night at Ole Miss Soccer Stadium. The loss moved the Rebels to 7-2-0 overall and 0-1-0 in SEC play. After Mississippi State opened the scoring in the 19th minute, Sarah Granno brought the Rebels level at the 55:30 mark with a strike from outside the box off an assist from Cassidy Kuehne. It was Granno’s second goal of the season and Kuehne’s first assist. Ole Miss was reduced to 10 players in the 69th minute, and the Bulldogs scored three times over the final 22 minutes. Mississippi State held a 13-11 advantage in shots and an 8-7 edge in shots on goal, while Ole Miss earned five corner kicks and held 54% of the possession. Taylor Prigge finished with three saves.
SCOUTING REPORT: AUBURN
Auburn enters Friday’s match with a 4-1-3 overall record and an 0-1 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The Tigers opened the season unbeaten through seven matches before falling 1-0 to No. 11 Alabama in their SEC opener. Auburn’s defense has recorded six shutouts and conceded just two goals through eight matches, including clean sheets against No. 25 Clemson, Jax State, Southern Illinois, Kennesaw State, UAB and Samford. The Tigers have scored 14 goals this season, led by Dylan Driver with three goals, two assists and eight points. Driver recorded at least one point in four consecutive matches during Auburn’s nonconference schedule. Ellie Rebmann supplied the match-winner in the Tigers’ 1-0 victory at UAB. Auburn is led by second-year head coach James Armstrong.
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
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.
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