Jane Rob PannellThe No. 16 Rebels (11-4-3, 6-3-1 SEC) suffered a tough 3-2 loss to rival Mississippi State (5-8-3, 3-6-1 SEC) in a wild battle for the Magnolia Cup Thursday night at the MSU Soccer Field. However, this game ended the season for the Bulldogs, as it was not enough to clinch their spot in the SEC tournament.
The tone of the match was set early. Only five minutes into the contest, Bulldog forward Hailey Farrington-Bentil gave State the lead with a shot just outside of the 18-yard box.
The Rebels were able to find an answer in the 33rd minute with an unreal goal by Channing Foster. After beating several Bulldog defenders, Foster sent a long-range, left-footed bullet into the upper 90, followed by a multiple back-handspring celebration.
The rival teams had to settle for going into the half tied at one goal a piece.
Ole Miss sophomore Mo O’Connor came out of the half ready to roll. In a foot race with the Bulldog back-line, the Oxford-native used the counter-attack to bury one from 40 yards out and put the Rebels ahead 2-1.
The Rebels were not able to hold on to the lead for long. Mississippi State forward Monigo Karnley equalized the match again in the 61st minute, putting the score at 2-2.
Fighting through cold temperatures and wet conditions, the Mississippi teams battled for the lead in the remaining minutes. In the 78th minute, Ole Miss keeper Ashley Orkus was called for a foul in the box. Mississippi State keeper Maddy Anderson took the penalty kick to put the Bulldogs up 3-2 and secure the win.
The Rebels will be shifting their focus to the SEC tournament where they have secured the No. 3 seed. Ole Miss is set to play No. 6 seed Alabama on Tuesday, Nov. 2 at 2:30 p.m. in Orange Beach, Alabama. The match will be broadcasted on SEC Network.
