Channing Foster moves past a defender during the 4-1 win against LSU earlier this season. Photo by Billy Schuerman
The No. 25 Ole Miss women’s soccer team will take on another top 25 conference competitor Thursday night, hosting the No. 18 Auburn Tigers.
With eight conference games under their belt and half of those ending in a loss, the Rebels are itching for another win to solidify their spot in the SEC Tournament at Orange Beach, Alabama, later this fall. Playing against the Tigers, who have a conference record of 3-1-2 this season, will definitely put the Rebels to the test.
Auburn’s only conference loss came to the Arkansas Razorbacks, whom Ole Miss defeated earlier this season. However, quality wins over Florida and Texas A&M, two teams that defeated Ole Miss, counteract the “transitive property” loss. To further solidify their program’s success, the Tigers earned two quality wins last week.
“They are coming off a great week where they beat their rival Alabama and a top 10 Florida team,” coach Matt Mott said earlier in the week. “I have a lot of respect for those guys.”
Ole Miss, on the other hand, suffered a heartbreaking loss to Texas A&M last Friday night. In a game that remained scoreless until the last three minutes, the Aggies’ ball eventually found the net and took the 1-0 victory. Despite letting up the game’s only goal, goalkeeper Marnie Merritt was outstanding in the net, making a career-high 10 saves.
“I was very proud of the way my team fought and battled,” Mott said. “It was disappointing that we didn’t get a result, and I think a draw would have been fair, but we certainly had our chances to win.”
Currently, the Tigers sit fifth in the SEC standings, while the Rebels claim the eighth-place spot, but should history repeat itself, Thursday’s game will come down to the wire. The all-time series record stands in a deadlock at 11-11-2, but Ole Miss has claimed the last three matches and will hope to make it a fourth.
To add another layer to the rivalry between the Rebels and the Tigers, Karen Hoppa, head coach at Auburn, was Mott’s mentor for 11 years.
“Obviously, I think she’s a pretty darn good coach,” Mott said. “She has her team ready, and they are playing great at the right time of year.”
After battling under the lights Thursday, Ole Miss will face Mississippi State over the weekend. Though the Bulldogs are 1-4-2 in the conference on the year and the Rebels have won the last three meetings between the two teams, the Magnolia State rivalry never fails to play close.
“It will be another tough task for us on Sunday,” Mott said. “But, again, I like where our team is. We are motivated and understand we have three big games left, two at home and one down in Starkville.”
Kickoff for the game against Auburn is at 7 p.m. in Oxford, with a quick turnaround for the Rebels, who will head to Starkville for a 4 p.m. kickoff Sunday.
“That will be a difficult game for us on Thursday, but one our girls are definitely looking forward to,” Mott said. “We are certainly motivated for Thursday night and to get back to it, and it will be another tough task for us on Sunday.”
