Aug. 19, 2012

Box Score

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Jennifer Miller made her first career goal an important one as the freshman put in what proved to be the game-winner on Sunday night to lift Ole Miss (2-0) to a 3-1 victory on the road over Middle Tennessee State (1-1).

Sophomore goal keeper Kelly McCormick delivered a free kick down the field that was headed to Miller by Mandy McCalla as the freshman put the ball into the net. The goal snapped a tie match as Ole Miss moved in front on the way to the win.

“It was a total team effort with a lot of players coming off the bench and we played a full 90 minutes,” said Ole Miss head coach Matt Mott. “We played well in the first half and scored a good goal. Middle Tennessee State came back right away and scored and made it hard on us. In the second half we started to take control of the game and were really dangerous.

“It’s great to get a lot of production from a lot of different players,” Mott said. “The freshmen have really come in and given us a lift. The returners are showing some class with Rafaelle Souza and Mandy McCalla scoring tonight. (Jennifer) Miller scoring the game-winner on her birthday is really special.”

Ole Miss out-shot Middle Tennessee State 20-to-10 for the match and 14 of the Rebels’ 20 shots were on goal.

McCalla started the scoring with a goal in the 16th minute of a header from Maddie Cunningham off a corner kick from Sara Coleman. But the lead was short-lived as MTSU came right back and scored a few seconds later to tie the match at one.

The Rebels appeared to take the lead in the 57th minute, but the goal was disallowed by the far official after Ole Miss headed in the ball on the cross from Souza. A second goal was waved off moments later when Souza was called off-sides on another shot in the box.

Ole Miss took the lead in the 72nd minute when Miller scored her first goal off the header from McCalla off the McCormick free kick.

The Rebels pushed the lead out to two goals in the 90th minute when Rafaelle Souza put the ball in the back of the net off a header to make it 3-1 for Ole Miss. The header from Souza was set up by Brooke Theobald who notched her first assist of the year

Ole Miss will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon when the Rebels travel to face Troy at 3 p.m.