The Aggies, winless in conference play with a conference record of 0-3-1, currently sit at the bottom of the SEC West division standings. The Aggies will travel to Oxford, Miss., on Sunday to play yet another tough road challenge against Ole Miss, who is ranked No. 20 nationally with a conference record of 3-2-0, good for fifth place in a competitive West division.
A&M tied LSU Thursday night 2-2 after going up 2-0 but allowing LSU to come back and tie the game, keeping the Aggies still without a win in conference but giving them their first division point.
“It just comes down to focus,” sophomore Maile Hayes said. “How bad do you want it, and I think that’s what we’re struggling a bit with.”
This will be the third time the Aggies have gone on the road to face a ranked conference opponent this season, having lost on the road to No. 6 Alabama and No. 12 Arkansas.
“We’ll put our shoes back on on Sunday and play against a completely different type of team in Ole Miss,” coach G Guerrieri said. “We’ve got to be a little bit smarter and not give away silly stuff and be mentally tough to go in and get a win in Oxford because they’re really good at what they do.”
The Rebels offer a unique challenge for the Aggies, primarily with their defense. They are led by senior two-time SEC Goalkeeper of the Year and 2021 First Team All American Ashley Orkus, who before Thursday night’s matchup against Alabama where she surrendered four goals, had only allowed four goals and now ranks 41st nationally in goals allowed. This has led the Rebels to be tied for 25th in the country in goals-against average and 30th in save percentage.
Ole Miss is not lacking offensively either, as the Rebels are tied for the 59th-best scoring offense in the country, averaging 2 points per game. They are led offensively by senior forward and Duke University transfer Marykate McGuire and senior forward Mo O’Connor, who have seven and five goals on the season, respectively.
Since joining the SEC in 2012, A&M has the series advantage against Ole Miss with seven wins, three loses and two ties, with one of those losses being in last year’s matchup.
Kick off time for Sunday’s game is set for 1 p.m., at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium, and the game can be watched on ESPNU.
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