Addie Forbus drives the ball downfield during a game last week.
Photo by Tyler Jackson
The No. 25-ranked Ole Miss women’s soccer team (9-2-1, 2-1) will travel to Knoxville tonight to take on the Lady Volunteers of Tennessee (6-3-2, 1-1-1).
The match will feature an Ole Miss team fresh off what head coach Matt Mott called “the best win we’ve ever had in the history of Ole Miss soccer in the SEC,” a 7-0 beat down of the Auburn Tigers.
Following tonight’s match, the Rebels will travel to Athens, Ga., to face the Georgia Bulldogs (9-2, 2-1). The Bulldogs will host the Rebels following their Friday match against Alabama.
Ole Miss’ back line, whose praises Mott has been singing all season, will face another talented forward in Tennessee’s Hannah Wilkinson. Wilkinson, a junior from New Zealand, has notched 13 goals in 26 career games for the Volunteers. Mott said on Monday she is “one of the top forwards in the league.”
Friday’s match also has some family ties for the Rebels, as freshman defender/midfielder Melissa Capocaccia’s two older sisters, Caroline and Suzanne, play for Tennessee. Defense appears to be the family business, as Caroline and Suzanne also play on Tennessee’s back line. Mott said Melissa is “definitely excited” and that she has been looking forward to facing her siblings.
Georgia’s record suggests a slightly bigger challenge for the Rebels on Sunday. The Bulldogs are looking to bounce back after a 1-0 loss with which Kentucky ended a program-record nine-game winning streak on Sunday. Although a smaller package, Georgia presents a similar challenge with a talented forward in Marion Crowder. The freshman is a Madison native and has recorded eight goals on the season.
Mott stressed that the team needs to be ready for two tough games on the road this weekend. Today’s match is scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff, while Sunday’s match is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
