There will be bigger challenges ahead. Tougher opponents. Road tests. Moments that ask more of Ole Miss than a season opener against a smaller program.
But for one night, the Rebels got to enjoy something simple: a clean, confidence-building win to start a new chapter.
Ole Miss beat Murray State 1-0 on Wednesday at Ole Miss Soccer Stadium, giving Todd Shulenberger his first victory as the Rebels’ head coach.
It was the kind of debut that lets everyone exhale a little. The Rebels looked organized, aggressive and in control from the opening whistle, outshooting the Racers 22-4 and piling up a 10-1 edge in corner kicks.
That’s how you want a season to start.
The breakthrough came in the 63rd minute, and it came from someone who barely had time to settle in. Katie Ramsden entered the match in the 61st minute and needed only two minutes to make her mark. Sarah Granno slipped her a pass, and the Leeds, England native buried it for her first goal of the season.
Dangerous combo 😮💨 https://t.co/0lDiCM1aC7 pic.twitter.com/gfAY9s55LO
— Ole Miss Soccer (@OleMissSoccer) August 13, 2026
It was the moment Ole Miss had been building toward all night.
After all, the Rebels recorded the first 11 shots of the match and didn’t allow Murray State a single attempt in the first half. Granno nearly opened the scoring in the 17th minute, forcing a save on one of several early chances.
Ole Miss kept pushing, kept earning corners and kept spreading the ball around. Seven different players took shots before halftime.
The only thing missing was the finish.
Once Ramsden delivered it, the Rebels settled in and protected the lead.
Murray State finally put a shot on goal in the 70th minute, but Taylor Prigge handled it without trouble. She played all 90 minutes, made one save and walked off with a shutout in her first start of the season.
Ole Miss finished with four shots on goal and held 55 percent of the possession. The Rebels took 11 shots in each half and didn’t let Murray State generate anything meaningful until the final stretch.
For a season opener, that’s about as steady as it gets.
And yes, it’s early. There will be tougher nights and tougher opponents. Shulenberger knows that, and the players know it too. But a first win is still a first win, and it matters. It sets a tone. It gives a new coach something to build on. It gives a team something to celebrate before the grind of August and September kicks in.
Ole Miss will head to Louisiana on Sunday for its first road match of the season. The schedule will get heavier. The stakes will rise. But for now, the Rebels get to enjoy a night where everything looked the way it was supposed to look.
A new coach. A new season. A good start.
