OXFORD, Miss. (August 25, 2006) - The ETSU soccer team fell in a tough battle to the pre-season No. 24 Ole Miss Rebels during their season opener, 2-0. The Bucs are 0-1 on the season, while Ole Miss improves to 1-0.

"Ole Miss is a great team, it was a great opportunity and a great experience for us to be able to play a pre-season Top 25 team," said head coach Heather Henson. "The team didn't shy away from them and came in ready to play."

The Bucs were able to fend off the Rebel offense as senior Emily Fulcher (New Bern, N.C.) made three saves in a scoreless first-half.

Offensively, ETSU had one shot-on-goal from junior midfielder Katie O'Bryan (Hampton, Va.).

 "During the first-half we were able to string some passes together and create some attacking opportunities, but we were never able to move the ball into the attacking 1/3," said Henson.

In the second period, the Bucs continued to persevere, but with a roster decimated by injuries, the Rebels were able to capitalize on mistakes to score twice.

ETSU had five shots on the night with O'Bryan leading the Bucs with four shots. Junior Hannah Johnson (Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.) recorded the fifth shot for the Buccaneers.

"I'm very proud of the drive and determination that the team showed tonight. With five injuries, we had trouble as we got deeper into the game, but I feel that they did a good job of stepping up," said Henson.

The Bucs will continue their road swing this weekend as they prepare to take on Morehead State, Sunday, August 27 at 1 p.m.