Ole Miss Soccer Opens 2018 Season 2-0

Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Communications

By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com.

The Ole Miss soccer team opened the 2018 season with a bang defeating Louisiana and Western Kentucky over the weekend in Oxford.

On Friday, the Rebels took control of the match as freshman Haleigh Stackpole scored the opening goal in the second minute of action. Madisyn Pezzino put Ole Miss up 2-0, 15 minutes later.

Louisiana held the Rebels to that score throughout the remainder of the half.

Coach Matt Mott’s club would score four more times in the final 45 minutes of the game, including three goals in a 10-minute span.

Redshirt-freshman Madison Smith was the first to break through, finishing in the 64th minute into the bottom corner of the goal after Grace Johnson’s header fell to her feet. Just a few minutes later, Sydney Michalak took a failed clearance on the half-volley and looped a shot over the outstretched keeper, putting Ole Miss up 4-0.

Western Kentucky rolled in on Sunday to face the Rebels as forward CeCe Kizer turned in a hat-trick to secure an Ole Miss win.

The two sides didn’t return to the pitch for long to start the second half, entering into a lightning delay just 12 minutes after the whistle. Rather than come out flat following the 35-minute delay, the Rebels came out on fire, quickly bagging a pair of goals to seize control.

Ole Miss takes their first road trip of the season on Friday taking on the Golden Gophers of Minnesota in Minneapolis at 7 p.m.