Alabama Soccer Shakes Off Road Troubles in Ole Miss Win

Alabama soccer triumphed over a new-look Ole Miss team on Thursday night.

Alabama soccer head coach Wes Hart was happy with his team's energy after a 4-1 win against LSU on Oct. 13. That energy helped translate into the first road victory of the conference schedule on Thursday night. The No. 16 Crimson Tide (10-3-4) got the job done in Oxford, Miss., over a new-look Ole Miss team.

Led by first-year coach Molly Rouse, the Rebels sought to avenge not just a single result from last season, but one that caused that season to torpedo in an adverse direction. Last October, Alabama convincingly beat a ranked Ole Miss side in Tuscaloosa, and the Rebels didn't notch another win for the entire campaign.

The first half was a battle. Despite the fact that neither team managed to convert on its chances in the opening stages of the match, things still went back and forth. Alabama goalkeeper Coralie Lallier, one of the stars of the half, has had some tough outings on the road. She bore the brunt of the Crimson Tide's 5-0 loss against Arkansas on Sept. 21. On Thursday, she changed the narrative to the tune of five saves and no goals allowed. 

"After the first 10-15 minutes, we settled in defensively," Hart said. "Our back line and Coralie answered the call when we needed them."

The same couldn't be said for Ole Miss keeper Shu Ohba. The last time Alabama played against the Rebels, it saw All-SEC keeper Ashley Orkus. Ohba impressed, but still let up one. She was all over the net, blocking from every direction, and it showed in her six saves. However, there was one she didn't get to. In the 37th minute, Alabama broke the scoreless tie. This has become something of a recent habit for the Crimson Tide. Felicia Knox's game-winner against LSU came without significant time remaining in the first half of that contest. It was Itala Gemelli this time, scoring her long-awaited second Alabama goal. According to Hart, Gemelli, who did not start the match, helped come in and pick the team up.

For the second season in a row, the Crimson Tide had taken the wind out of the Rebels' sails. While it remains to be seen whether the Ole Miss results from this point forward will follow a similar pattern as last fall, what is certain is that the momentum created by the Alabama goal was a harsh obstacle for Ole Miss. All five of the Rebels' shots on goal were in the first half. The home team's offense in the second half was a far cry from what it had been in the first 45 minutes.

Ole Miss took just one shot in the second half. Alabama, while ahead, took seven. Five were on goal. If the Rebels had indeed come back and at least force a draw, they likely would've had Ohba to thank. As it is, Ole Miss' conference record dropped to 2-4-2. Alabama now is 4-3-1 in the SEC. Its last road win came all the way back on Sept. 17.

"From an attacking standpoint, I thought it was some of our best soccer of the season," said Hart. "We were able to get to the end line often, and had some great service in the box. We just missed on a few and their keeper came up big on a couple other occasions."

The home stretch of the season has well and truly arrived. The next home match on Alabama's schedule will be the last of the regular season, against the other half of the Egg Bowl rivalry in Mississippi State. A lot is on the line, with one of those things being a chance to win on senior night. The Crimson Tide has been on the road twice in three matches, and gets at least one more at home.

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