Soccer to Host Mississippi and Travel to Auburn this Weekend
Sept. 16, 2004
LAWERENCE, Kan. – On Friday, Kansas soccer will attempt to do something it has not had to do yet this season, rebound from a loss. On Friday, the No. 8 Jayhawks welcome Ole Miss to Lawrence, Kan., as the two teams square off at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex at 5 p.m. Kansas will be back on the road on Sunday, traveling to Auburn to take on the Tigers.
Kansas (6-1) dropped its first match of the season on Tuesday, falling 1-0 to No. 11 Illinois on the road in Champaign, Ill. The Jayhawks will be in action at home for only the third time this season, as five of the team’s first seven games were away from Lawrence. Goalkeeper Meghan Miller earned her second Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honor this season, as she was selected by the conference after leading the Jayhawks to a pair of wins, including the program’s first-ever over a top 10 opponent.
The Jayhawks and Rebels are not entirely strangers on the soccer pitch. The teams have met five times, the most by Kansas against an opponent outside of the Big 12 Conference. Ole Miss holds a 3-2 advantage in the series, including a 1-0 victory in Oxford, Miss., in 2002.
The trip to Lawrence will be only the third match away from home this season for the Rebels, who split a pair of matches in Charlotte, N.C., earlier this month. Ole Miss, who was the preseason pick to win the SEC Western Division, comes to KU sporting a 4-2 overall record, dropping one-goal decisions to Wake Forest and Memphis this season. The Rebels have outscored their opponents 16-4 this season, with 12 of their goals coming in the second half.
Sophomore Brittney Potts is the team’s offensive force, leading the team with six goals and 14 points this season. In goal, redshirt freshman Ann Shelton has been outstanding. She has started all six contests and has made 16 saves and collected a 0.66 goals against average.
On Sunday, Kansas takes to the road, traveling to Auburn, Ala., to battle the Auburn Tigers.The Tigers are coming off their first loss of the season, a 1-0 setback against Indiana on Sept. 11. Overall this season, Auburn is 5-1 and has spent time in the national rankings but dropped out after last weekend’s loss.
Auburn was slated to play UNLV on Friday in Auburn, Ala., but the game was cancelled due to the severe weather associated with Hurricane Ivan. The Kansas-Auburn match is expected to take place as normally scheduled.
On the field this season, the Tigers have outscored their opponents 13-4, which includes an 8-1 scoring advantage in the second half. The goals have been spread around, with seniors Sarah Steinmann and Chrissy Culver sharing the team lead with three goals. In net, senior goalkeeper Megan Rivera has carried the load and put up impressive numbers so far in 2004. In 539:52 minutes of work, she has allowed only four goals against, while making 16 saves and collecting a 0.67 goals against average.
