The University of Mississippi women’s soccer team’s high-scoring ways will be put to the test this weekend.
Through seven matches, Ole Miss has relied on an offense that has scored a Southeastern-Conference best 26 goals en route to a 7-0 record.
The start, which matches the program’s best start in 2003, also has helped coach Matthew Mott’s team climb from No. 25 to No. 22 in this week’s Soccer America Top 25.
Ole Miss will put that ranking on the line at 7 tonight when it plays host to the University of Arkansas (3-3) in its SEC opener. It then will play host to No. 10 Texas A&M University at 1 p.m. Sunday.
“We’re pleased. We feel the team is in a good spot,” Mott said. “We have had a couple injuries here and there, but, at this point of the year, everybody has some injury issues. The team as a whole is playing well, and we have had good consistency in all three lines.”
An injury to freshman Georgia Russell, of Tupelo, is one of only a few negatives that Mott has encountered. He has had nine players score, 11 get assists, and watched as junior Mandy McCalla (seven goals, 17 points) and junior Rafaelle Souza (seven goals, 16 points) have teamed to form a dominating duo up top.
But Mott also likes the way players like Erin Emerson, Alix Hildal and freshman Jennifer Miller have worked together in the midfield. He has been equally pleased with the development of sophomore goalkeeper Kelly McCormick, who has four shutouts and has twice been named SEC Player of the Week, and how she has worked with defenders Maddie Cunningham, Sam Sanders, Jessica Hiskey, and Maddie Friedmann. Sanders, Hiskey, and Friedmann are freshmen.
“We are very young back there, but they have come in and gotten better each game,” Mott said. “We have hit some of the goals we set for ourselves in the first part of the season, but now it starts all over again (tonight).”
Mott said the freshmen on the back line all have exceeded expectations and earned spots. He said Cunningham, who plays right back, has helped solidify a unit that has Sanders and Freeman in the center and Hiskey on the left.
As for offense, Mott said the partnership McCalla and Souza have formed up top has worked exceptionally well. He said the addition of freshman Olivia Harrison (five goals, 11 points) gives Ole Miss another scorer. With so many freshman playing key roles, Mott likes the fact he has experienced players to go to off the bench. With a run of Friday-Sunday matches set to begin tonight, he knows plenty of players will get opportunities to make their mark in a high-scoring attack.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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