Ole Miss Falls To Tennessee In Double Overtime

The Rebels played teams into overtime six times on the season heading into the regular-season finale, but the seventh overtime period proved to be the dagger in the heart of a team that had survived extra time repeatedly as Ole Miss (8-6-5, 3-4-4 SEC) fell to Tennessee (9-9-1, 4-6-1 SEC) by a score of 3-2 on Thursday night in double overtime.
With the golden goal from Cheyenne Spade in the 108th minute, the Rebels were eliminated from contention for the SEC Tournament as Tennessee advanced in the final spot.
“That was a hard way to end this game,” said Ole Miss head coach Matthew Mott. “I can’t thank Kelly McCormick enough for what she’s meant to this program – the person and player she has been for her career. I hate it for her to end things this way and for the team. We played well enough to get a result here tonight and it didn’t happen for us.”
Tennessee struck first on the night when Amy Neal found the back of the net for the Lady Vols in the ninth minute of play. Tennessee took a short corner on the far side of the field where it was passed from Susan Ferguson to Carlyn Baldwin and finally to Neal who shot from roughly 35 yards out across the box and into the net to put the visiting team up 1-0.
Ole Miss responded in the 14th minute when the Rebels were awarded a penalty kick following a foul of Olivia Harrison. Harrison was taken down just as she dribbled into the top of the box, setting up the penalty kick for the Rebels that was taken by Jessica Hiskey. Hiskey drilled the shot at the goal where it was deflected by Tennessee keeper Jamie Simmons.
The ball got away from Simmons and bounced back toward the middle of the box where Hiskey drilled it into the net to tie the match 1-1.
The battle between the two teams was on from there.
The Rebels took the lead for the first time on the night in the 31st minute on a counter when Addie Forbus took the ball just on the Tennessee half of the field and dribbled down the middle of the pitch before firing a shot into the goal when she got into the box.
Ole Miss held the 2-1 lead at the half despite being outshot 7-to-5 in the period.
The Lady Vols took little time erasing the Rebel lead, striking in the 57th minute when the Rebels were called for a foul just inside the box to set up a penalty kick for Tennessee. Baldwin took the kick and the shot was true, tying the match at two goals each.
The squads continued to battle through a physical second half of a match that saw 33 total fouls and three yellow cards. Tennessee committed 19 fouls and had two yellow cards to 14 fouls and one yellow card for the Rebels.
Ole Miss had several opportunities down the stretch to end things in regulation, including a spectacular shot from distance from Gretchen Harknett in the 90th minute that hit the crossbar as time expired and sent the match into overtime.
The Rebels and Lady Vols played to a stalemate through the first overtime period and things looked to be heading towards a favorable decision for the Rebels in the second overtime period as all Ole Miss needed was a draw to secure its place in the SEC Tournament.
Spade ended that hope in the 108th minute after she took a ball played by Christine Creighton amidst chaos in the box and sent it into the net to end the match with the Lady Vols grabbing the 3-2 victory.
–Ole Miss Sports Information
Staff writer Sam Mitchell went to the Ole Miss Rebels soccer team game and took the following pictures.