Soccer Set to Conclude Season Against No. 23 Mississippi
10/31/2009 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Oct. 31, 2009
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama soccer team (6-10-1, 2-7-1 SEC) heads to Oxford on Sunday to makeup a game against Mississippi (12-4-2, 6-2-2 SEC) from earlier this season. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium.
Who to Watch: Alabama enters its final regular season match of the season. Sophomore goalkeeper Justine Bernier enters the contest ranked second in the conference in saves with 105 and leads the league with six saves per contest. Bernier has made five or more stops in 12 of the last 13 games. On the offensive side of things junior Victoria Frederick still paces the team with 10 points on four goals and two assists.
Last Time Out: Alabama dropped its home finale to rival Auburn by the score of 2-0 Friday night on Senior Day. The Tigers tallied two first half goals to down the Crimson Tide and earn the Iron Bowl of Soccer team trophy. Justine Bernier made nine saves while Grace Lawson led Alabama with three shots.
Scouting Mississippi: The Rebels enter the contest sporting a No. 23 ranking and are coming off a 2-0 win over rival Mississippi State on Friday. Hannah Weatherly paces the Rebels with 20 points on nine goals and two assists. Four other Rebels enter Sunday sporting over 10 points as Mississippi comes into the match out-scoring the opposition 41-11. In goal Ally Ronaldi has posted eight shutouts and sports a 0.62 goals against average. The Rebels finished third behind LSU and Auburn a year ago with a 5-5-1 league record, while earning their 12th straight SEC Tournament berth. Ole Miss and Florida are the only schools to advance to each of the last 12 league tournaments. Ole Miss also boasts a 15-1-4 record against Western Division foes over the past four seasons.
Series History: Alabama trails the all-time series against Mississippi by a 9-6 margin. The Rebels have won four in a row against the Crimson Tide including the last meeting between the two programs in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 5, 2008 where Mississippi beat Alabama 2-1. Ole Miss is 6-2 all-time against UA in matches played in Oxford.
Goals and Wins: So far this season the Crimson Tide has played a very defensive brand of soccer but when they do find the back of the net it usually leads to a win. Alabama is 6-1 this season when it scores a goal with its only loss coming against Conference USA champion Memphis on Sept. 13. Alabama has played in five one goal games and has won four of them, posting two 1-0 shutouts over that span.
Rookie Minutes: Alabama head soccer coach Todd Bramble has had to rely heavily on his freshmen class for significant minutes in 2009. Eight newcomers have found time on the field for the Crimson Tide. Among the eight, six have earned a start. Kaitlyn Smith and Ashley Willis have started every contest for the Tide. Willis leads all position players with 1554 minutes played. Josie Rix has also started over 10 matches as she has found her way into the starting lineup 11 times.
