Ole Miss Soccer to Face No. 5 Alabama on Friday

This season, Ole Miss has an impressive record of 5-0-0 in matches determined by a single goal, including four victories by a score of 1-0. The team is also undefeated at 7-0-0 when they score first.

Through their first 12 matches, the Rebels have recorded six shutouts, with six of their seven victories coming without allowing any goals. They have outshot their opponents 157-115, boasting a 58-43 advantage in shots on target, as well as earning 76 corner kicks while conceding 44.

This season, eight different players have scored, with Sarah Granno, Ava Ghoreishi, Teaghan Irvin, and Becca Skinner each leading the team with two goals and five points. Ghoreishi has contributed two game-winning goals.

Isabella Pontieri tops the Rebels with 23 shots and nine on target, while Ghoreishi is second with eight shots on goal. The team has utilized 12 different starting lineups, and 20 players have earned at least one starting appearance. Granno, Maizy Kluksdal, Alena Watts, and Allison Kolski have started every match, with Kolski playing all 1,080 minutes so far.

In the 2026 season, Ole Miss is led by first-year head coach Todd Shulenberger, who took the position as the fourth head coach in the program's history on December 1, 2025. Shulenberger previously spent 11 seasons at Washington State, where he achieved a record of 113-67-34 and guided the Cougars to five NCAA Tournament appearances and a historic College Cup appearance in 2019.

In their last match, Ole Miss suffered a 2-0 defeat to Texas, dropping their overall record to 7-5-0 and 0-4-0 in Southeastern Conference play. The Longhorns scored early, and although Ole Miss had nine first-half shots, Texas goalkeeper Bayliss Flynn was able to keep them scoreless. The Rebels outshot Texas 16-13 and had a 7-4 advantage in corner kicks.

Alabama enters Friday’s match with an 11-1-0 record and is 4-0-0 in SEC play. The Crimson Tide have opened their conference season with three consecutive shutout victories against Auburn, Arkansas, and Texas A&M, and recently defeated No. 21 Oklahoma 3-1. With a powerful offense that has scored 27 goals while allowing just 11, Alabama is led by Larkin Thomason, who has netted nine goals.

Looking back at the 2025 season, Ole Miss finished with a record of 4-8-3, including a 3-3-2 record at home, and they started strong with four wins in their first five matches. Four returning players, including Katie Ramsden, who led the team in goals, are expected to contribute significantly to the 2026 roster, which consists of 30 players, featuring 14 transfers and three true freshmen.

Isabella Pontieri, a notable addition, has been named to the 2026 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List. She previously played at North Florida, where she achieved several noteworthy statistics.

Additionally, five Ole Miss players have been recognized on the 2026 SEC Soccer Preseason Watch List, all of whom are entering their first season at the university.