COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Gamecocks got off to a quick start, and the Rebels were unable to come up with an answer on Sunday as Ole Miss (7-5-4, 2-3-3 Southeastern Conference) fell at South Carolina (11-4-1, 4-3-1 SEC) by a score of 2-0.
The Gamecocks got a pair of goals – one on a penalty kick – in the first eight minutes of play, and the two teams played an even battle the rest of the way as South Carolina picked up the victory over the Rebels.
Ole Miss fired off nine shots to the Gamecocks’ 10, but the visitors couldn’t find the back of the net in the final match of a road swing that saw the Rebels not playing a home match for three weeks.
“It was a tough match today between two teams who really battled,” Ole Miss head coach Matthew Mott said. “Give credit to South Carolina for scoring two good goals, and their defense is very organized and tough to break down. We’re excited to get back home to Oxford this week and play a match at home for the first time in almost a month. We just have to get back on the practice field and get the team ready for our next match on Friday.”
South Carolina got off to a quick start, putting the ball in the goal in the second minute of play. The Gamecocks brought the ball down the near side of the field and connected passes through the middle before sophomore midfielder Lindsey Lane found the net on her shot from 15 yards out in the box. Sophomore midfielder Chelsea Drennan and midfielder and forward junior Raina Johnson sent the ball through the Rebel defense to find Lane for the shot.
The lead grew to 2-0 after a collision in the box between the Ole Miss goalkeeper and South Carolina’s Drennan resulted in a penalty kick; the Rebels’ senior Kelly McCormick came out to make the stop and collided with Drennan in the air, resulting in an injury to the Gamecock player and a foul on McCormick. Senior defender and midfielder Andie Romness lined up to take the penalty kick for South Carolina and converted, giving the Gamecocks the two-goal lead eight minutes into the match.
Ole Miss got their chance late in the half when sophomore forward and midfielder Addie Forbus made a nice turn on the far side of the field and dribbled into the box to fire a shot. The ball was deflected by freshman goalkeeper Abbey Crider but not controlled. A Rebel went down on a collision trying to strike the loose ball in the box, but it was cleared by the Gamecocks for a throw in the 39th minute.
A foul outside the box a minute later set up another free kick, but again, the service was cleared.
Ole Miss got its third solid opportunity in the 43rd minute of play after sending a dangerous ball into the box, and again the Rebel striker was taken down, resulting in a clearance of the ball as Ole Miss’ possession came up empty again.
The squads continued the physical and aggressive play in the second half with Ole Miss applying offensive pressure early in an effort to find the net. The Gamecocks turned away each attack early before countering with several dangerous offensive possessions through the next few minutes.
The Rebels’ backline and McCormick proved to be up to each challenge, turning away the attacks to keep Ole Miss in striking distance, but the offense couldn’t find the goal to break the lid off the net as South Carolina picked up the shutout victory.
Ole Miss will return to action on Friday night, hosting the Missouri Tigers at 7 p.m. at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium before returning to the road to face Vanderbilt in the final road-match of the regular season on Sunday afternoon.
