Ole Miss Blanks Soccer 3-0

Sunday, September 15

Boulder, Colo.

TBA

Colorado

2-3-0

Mississippi

5-0-1

Mississippi

Colorado

September 15, 2002 | Soccer

Box Score

By: CUBuffs.com

BOULDER - Mississippi redshirt freshman Kelly Renie recorded a hat trick as the Rebels shutout Colorado 3-0 and the Buffs' suffered their worse loss of the season in front of a season-high 622 fans at the Pleasant View Soccer Complex here Sunday.

With the loss Colorado falls to 2-3 and below the .500 mark for the first time this season while Ole Miss improves to 5-0-1.

Renie's first of three goals in the second minute of play was the second quickest goal ever netted against a Colorado team and was the quickest since that school record goal scored by Oklahoma State's Missy Moss just 46 seconds into the game on Oct. 3, 1999.

"Every team that we've played has had a kid that can hurt us, and we just don't have that right now," said head coach Bill Hempen. "We're lacking sophistication at forward, which puts the onus on us not to make a mistake which is hard when we're playing a lot of freshmen."

Ole Miss' Kristal Menard served Renie on a free kick off a Colorado foul from UM's box and Renie beat Buff defender Aimee Bugay just outside the box and scored in the low left corner of the net just 1:45 into the game. On just Mississippi's third shot of the game, Renie would connect on her second goal, when off an Erin Emundson pass she carried the ball through the CU defense for her seventh goal of the season in the 11th minute of play. Following the second score Hempen pulled starting keeper Anna Handzlik for veteran keeper Sara Erskine.

The Buffs had legitimate chances to tie the game in the 30th and 31st minutes of play. With 15:58 left in the half Lindsey Galas beat the Rebels' Lyndsey Williams in front of the net and took a shot that was hooked by the wind and sailed wide left of UM keeper Brittany Gillespie who registered her fifth win and fourth shutout of the season. With 14:17 left in the opening half Darci Smerchek raced past Leigh Barrow for the shot that was saved by Gillespie.

Colorado's last scoring opportunity with 1:08 left in the first half came from Fran Munnelly who's shot from the top of the box fell into Gellespie's hands.

A determined Colorado team and fresh keeper Jeanne Rankin took the pitch in the second half. The result would be a dominant second half as CU outshot Ole Miss 10-5. The Buffs' effort fell short as Renie put the punctuation mark on the game when she recorded her third and final goal in the 51st minute of play.

Colorado answered with three shots by Fran Munnelly and one by Jen Thais between the 54th and 59th minutes of play. Munnelly's first shot was blocked, her second saved and third went wide. Thais' shot hit the cross bar and continued high. Munnelly and Thais would pair up again in the 62nd and 63rd minutes for another pair of attempts, with both falling short of a score.

With 16 minutes left to play and no result despite seven corners, Hempen would substitute six CU freshmen and newcomers for obviously worn and frustrated field players. In all, he played 21 field players and three keepers, 10 of 12 freshmen and 12 newcomers.

"You need one player to make a difference with a supporting cast and we're struggling to find that right now," Hempen said.

The Buffs have five days to regroup before they host the first Colorado Women's Soccer Challenge Friday and Sunday, Sept. 20 and 22 at the Pleasant View Soccer Complex. Denver will play Maine at 2 p.m., followed by Colorado/Eastern Illinois at 4 on Friday. Sunday's match times were changed to 10 a.m. (Denver/Eastern Illinois) and noon (Colorado/Maine).

"I told the players to go to a movie and not think about soccer. It's been a humbling weekend," said Hempen following the loss. "We're going to take off Monday and try again on Tuesday."