Honor Requires a  Minimum Fall Semester GPA of 3.25

January 30, 2026 - This may be the most exciting statistic for Rhodes College Women's Soccer, one which this author awaits eagerly each year. The Southern Athletic Association's Fall Academic Honor Roll has been released. The 25 honorees achieved the fall semester's requirement of a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.25 on a four point system while participating in a SAA conference-sponsored varsity sport. College is about many things but at its core is academics. This publication is proud of all the team members and finds these honorees are the super stars of the 2025 soccer team.

The Honor Roll was released January 20, 2026. An editorial issue delayed its publication here.

2026 [Spring] Roster Released

January 30,2026 - A roster of players for the 2026 Rhodes College Woman's Soceer Team has been released.All 19 of the listed players are returning from th 2025 season. Incoming recruits are not listed. At last check, all the 2026 recruits were seniors at their high schools with that graduation expected in the spring. An expanded roster is expected in August. Here is the spring Rhodes Lynx roster:

Extended Version

It's Time to Recognize Those Directly Involved
in the 2025 Women's Soccer Program

The Ratings Had It Right
Rhodes Played Both Finalists This Year

It'll be Washington University (WashU) vs. Emory University

Early Expectations for 2026

United Soccer Coaches Selections Dominated by Trinity

Interview with Coach McKinnon Pennell

Each have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA and Meet Class & Playing Time Requirements

Season Ends with Loss to Emory in Second Round of the NCAA Tournament

Rhodes vs. Emory

November 16, 2025 - No Rhodes Women's Soccer team has ever gone to Round 2 in the NCAA National Championship. Until now.

It’s number 2 against number 41

So it’s number two against Rhodes, ranked number 41 according to the NCAA Power Index. On Emory’s home field. With Rhodes having less than 22 hours to prepare after the Brevard game. It is reported Rhodes Coach McKinnon Pennell said he did not prepare for Sunday’s game before playing Brevard, he and the team only concentrated on Brevard. Emory only has a day, too, but it was so far ahead of Belhaven Saturday it was able to rest its starters for probably 25% of the game or more.

Rhodes showed up on Saturday in a masterful display of game control. It beat a team that had not lost in its previous 37 matches. The Lynx didn’t just win, it dominated the field play even if the score wasn’t overwhelming. It did, however, play its starters and primary substitutes, not reaching as far into its bench as did Emory.

So, what team did Emory lose to? Come on, you know. Yep, you guessed it. Washington University (St. Louis). That team is typically identified in athletics as WashU and is ranked number one nationally. Those two teams played in late October and WashU won 2-1. Rhodes played WashU in Memphis in mid September. The Lynx lost 3-0.

Emory had some other common opponents with Rhodes this year, too. Here those are:

Emory defeated Berry 2-1 in early September, Rhodes beat Berry 1-0 in mid October;
Emory beat Covenant 7-0 in mid September, Rhodes bested Covenant 5-0 in early September;
Emory outscored the University of Lynchburg 6-0 in mid September, Rhodes tied Lynchburg the last day of August;
Emory defeated Oglethorpe 3-0 in late September, Rhodes beat Oglethorpe 2-1 in early October;
The Eagles won over Sewanee 1-0 in late September, Rhodes tied Sewanee in early October’s regular season game but beat them in the conference semifinal match 1-0 in early November;
Emory conquered Maryville 5-0 in mid October, Rhodes got by Maryville 2-1 in early September;
as noted above, Emory triumphed over Belhaven in the NCAA tournament Saturday 6-0, Rhodes outlasted Belhaven 2-1 in early September.

Rhodes has played Emory five times since 2007. It won one of those games, that was in 2010. The Lynx last played the Eagles in 2019 and Emory prevailed 2-1.

This season Emory has 60 goals, opponents 6. A ten to one ratio.
It averages 3.16 goals per game, opponents 0.32.
The Eagles have taken 423 shots this year of which 220 were on target, opponents 142 with 57 on goal.
Emory even leads opponents on yellow cards received 12-5.
Assists 53-4, by now you know who had the 53.
Emory was forced to make 51 saves, opponents have had to make 160.
Fouls are also committed more often by Emory with 154, opponents 124.
The Eagles got 96 corner kicks, opponents have had 51.
Emory made one of two penalty kicks, opponents have failed to score on their two PK tries.

Emory’s leading scorer is All-American Kaitlyn Nimmer with 11 goals. She also leads her team with 10 assists.  Seventeen Eagles have scored one or more times this year. Rhodes leading scorer is Sophia Rall with 7 goals. Thirteen Lynx players have scored.

Coach Sue Patberg has directed Emory’s team since 2005. She’s taken the team to the NCAA tournament 15 times now, including to the semifinals last year. She’s been there 8 times with other teams. Her career record is 401-166-73. At Emory it’s 255-79-55. Coach Patberg played a little soccer in her time, too, as a 4 year starter for the University of Massachusetts. She was on the team as it made 4 NCAA tournament appearances and three final fours.

Rhodes Head Women’s Soccer Coach is McKinnon Pennell. He is in his second year as a college head coach, both at Rhodes. As a second year coach, he and his staff were selected as the 2025 Southern Athletic Association’s Women’s Soccer Coaching Staff of the Year. His record now stands at 25-8-3. He played soccer all 4 years as a student at Sewanee and received an honor of being named to the All-SAA Academic Team. Before Rhodes, Pennell served as assistant coach at The Citadel, at his alma mater Sewanee, and was Director of Soccer Operations at Old Dominion University.

Rhodes Defeats Sewanee in Semifinal

It's Rhodes vs. Sewanee and Centre vs. Trinity

Coaching Staff of the Year: McKinnon Pennell & Staff
Four Rhodes Players Selected to First Team All-Conference
TIME OF RHODES FRIDAY GAME HAS BEEN CHANGED TO 2 P.M.

Rhodes will Play Either Sewanee or Southwestern
************ TIME OF GAME HAS BEEN CHANGED ************

Lynx Ends Regular Season in Second Place in Conference

Rhodes vs. Millsaps

October 31, 2025 [Updated November 1, 2025 to add additional details and video links] [Updated November 2, 2025 to add statistics, tournament overtime rules, and commentary] - Rhodes ended its regular season back in the win column. It was good to get a victory, good to get multiple goals, and good to have 3 different Lynx players score those goals.

It was a chilly evening in Jackson, Mississippi. Sixty six degrees officially at first kick and 54 degrees when the final whistle blew.

Rhodes dominated the time in possession and, really, just about all aspect of the match. That wasn’t a big surprise as Millsaps has had a tough year with only two wins and none of them in conference play. The Lynx victory gives it an 11 win regular season along with three losses and two draws. The Majors record falls to 2-13-2 overall and 0-7-0 in the Southern Athletic Association play.

The first Rhodes goal came on a well executed build. Two Rhodes players with impressive footwork fought off defenders. One, Freshman Sydney Gallagher, will get the assist. Before she has the ball at her feet a Lynx player, I wish I could tell you it was (if you can, please let me know) was challeged for the ball twice as she came down the right touchline and she magnificently battled to kept the ball in her control and continued. She passed the ball to Gallagher who was in the middle right of the field 26 yards out. She eludes a defender with a reverse and dribbles the ball forward 5 yards into the center of the field. Gallagher then makes a nice pass leading Senior Sophia Rall as Rall makes a run toward the goal. Rall gets the ball 15 yards out, left center of the field and shoots from 10 yards out. The high shot is headed for the center of the net when the Millsaps goalkeeper gets her hands on it but it deflects into the upper left of the goal. Score 1-0 Rhodes leading at 5:31 into the match. Assist to Gallagher. See the video!

The next score came on a Senior Blair Rice throw-in to Freshman Aurelia Kirby. Kirby takes the ball 26 yards out, slants into the center of the field outrunning two defenders, finds an opening between two Millsaps players and delivers a blast into the left portion of the goal. It’s 2-0 Rhodes. Assist to Blair. See the video!

That’s the scoring for the first half.

In the second half, it was more of the same control of the ball by Rhodes and multiple shots but only one hit the mark. It was 62:57 into the game. Rhodes had been awarded a corner kick which was placed nicely into the box near the far post by Sophomore Lina Kilgore. It was headed three times, the last by Junior Mallory Goldstein, aimed perfectly to land in the back left corner of the net. Score Rhodes 3, Millsaps 0. Assist to Taylor Theofieldes. See the video!

And that’s how the game would end with a 3-0 victory for Rhodes.

With about 15 minutes left in the match Rhodes Junior Ellie Lawrence was on a lone run with the ball at her feet on an attack on the goal when the Millsaps goalie came out to block any shot. The goalkeeper dove and got to ball just outside the 18 yard box right in front of Lawrence. Although not intentional, just a play on the ball, in essence the goalkeeper did a rolling block on Lawrence. I think that block has been outlawed in American football because its propensity to injure. Lawrence was down for a minute but walked slowly off the field and a substitute came on. I’m happy to say she returned to play about 6 minutes later.

As the announcer on the radio says, let’s look at the numbers:

Rhodes took 31 shots, of which 18 were on target, Millsaps had 2 shots, one on target;
Rhodes had to make 1 save, Millsaps made 15;
Rhodes had 6 corner kicks, Millsaps none;
Each team was cited for 4 fouls.

There appeared to be no serious injuries in the game.

For the regular season 2025:
Senior Sophia Rall repeated from last year to be the leading scorer, having made 6 goals;
Freshman Abby Bell lead the team in assists with 4;
In a point system that combines goals and assists (2 points for a goal, 1 for an assist), Senior Sophia Rall earned the most points with 14;
12 Lynx players scored one or more goals;
Taylor Theofiledes played the most minutes with 1,384, having started in all 16 games this season;
the team scored a total of 26 goals this season, opponents scored a total of 10;
the team took 269 shots this season of which 139 were on target, opponents took 122 with 46 being on target;
Rhodes made 36 saves, opponents made 113;
the team got 81 corner kicks,  opponents 37;
the Lynx made 2 of the 3 penalty kicks they took, opponents failed to make the two they had;
Rhodes was cited for 107 fouls, opponents with 100;
there were four yellow cards issued against Rhodes team members, opponents accumulated 7;
in the 16 games this year neither Rhodes nor the opponents received a red card.

One final note about ethics in sport. During the Rhodes game against Millsaps the Majors' goalkeeper was approaching a school record for the number of saves. As she approached the record, the scorekeeper awarded her a save which clearly was not a shot on goal, it was well off target. Therefore, it was not a legitimate save. The announcer for the game on the internet all but admitted that it was a, shall we say, a generous award. According to the announcer, who was in the booth with the scorekeeper, those in the booth agreed to "give" her the save. Laughter could be heard among those in the scorekeeper's booth as they fudged the statistic in hopes of helping the goalie get to the record.  For the record, even with the mischaracterized save, the goalkeeper did not reach the existing record. It is not known if the scorekeeper in that game was a student or employee of Millsaps. The Millsaps Honor Code appears to apply only to academics so may not be relevant here.
Just as an aside, Rhodes College "Community Standards Council Constitution" does appear that it would cover ethical conduct by students in such a situation and if the sports statistical record is a "public document," it appears the Employee Handbook calls for "full, fair, accurate" records from employees. Some, perhaps many, may consider this mischaracterized save as an insignificant and just overly enthusiastic support for the player. In the scheme of things this episode is of little consequence at large. Nevertheless, in this writer's opinion, integrity is a fragile characteristic which should be guarded rigorously.

Next Game:  vs. either Sewanee or Southwestern in the SAA Championship Tournament Semi Final match, Friday, November 7, 2025, 2 p.m. at the Rhodes College Soccer Field.

Final Regular Season Game

Thoughts on the NCAA Tournament & the NPI

Rhodes vs. Trinity

Games Friday, Oct. 24 & Sunday Oct. 26 Respectively

Both are conference games. Every conference game is very important since the league consists of only eight teams and each team will have faced the others only once in the season. Conference standings determine which 6 teams are invited to the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) tournament, their seeding, and teams ranked first and second at the end of the season get a bye on tournament Thursday.

Trinity Has a Record of Success

Friday’s game is with Trinity (8-1-4 overall) (2-0-2 conference). Until last weekend Trinity was tied in first place in the SAA standings with Rhodes and Sewanee. But after the weekend when Trinity and Sewanee played each other to a draw, they both sank to second place in the standings leaving the weekend’s winner, Rhodes, at the top. The standings, however, really only matter at the end of the regular season.

Trinity was chosen as the preseason number one team by the league’s coaches. Its only loss this year was to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) which at the time was ranked number six in the nation and currently is ranked eighth by the United Soccer Coaches (USC). Draws have been with Pacific Lutheran, which was the USC’s preseason number 23 nationally but is not currently in the top 25; with Mary Hardin-Baylor; with Berry; and with Sewanee.

Here’s how the Tigers have played the Lynx common opponents so far this season:
with Oglethorpe Trinity won 3-0, Rhodes beat Oglethorpe 2-1;
the match against Berry ended in  a 0-0 draw, while the Lynx defeated Berry 1-0;
against Centre, Trinity won 2-0, Rhodes bested Centre 1-0;
and last weekend Trinity and Sewanee had a 1-1 tie, Rhodes also tied with Sewanee 1-1.

Trinity features the number two and number 3 scorers in the league. Alex Doran has nine goals and
Madisyn Barganski has eight. Leading scorers for Rhodes are Sophomore Maddie Carter and Senior Sophia Rall, both with five.

Trinity has scored 31 goals in its 13 games this season giving it an average of 2.385 per game. That ranks second among SAA teams in number and third in average per game behind Oglethorpe and Berry.
Rhodes has made 23 in its 13 matches for an average of 1.769, placing it sixth in both the number and average per game for league teams.

Rhodes has played Trinity a few times in years past. The most recent was in 2011 when the Tigers defeated the Lynx 6-0.

Trinity is coached by Dylan Harrison who is in his tenth year as head coach and has a 160-21-15 record at the school. Trinity is new to the Southern Athletic Association this year. Last year it won the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) championship. His Tiger teams have won eight SCAC Championships and have eight NCAA Playoff appearances. He is a 2002 graduate of Trinity, was a member of the Tigers men’s soccer team for four years, and was selected SCAC All Conference Second Team his senior year.

Friday evening weather forecast:  6-7 p.m. mostly cloudy, less than 10% chance of rain. 7-8 p.m.  Precipitation Potential 28%. Kickoff temperature 86 degrees, 8 p.m. temperature 84.

Southwestern Coached by Member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame

Two days after the Trinity game, Rhodes plays Southwestern (4-6-4 overall) (0-2-2 conference) in Georgetown, Texas. The Pirates are also new to the Southern Athletic Association (SAA)  conference this year.

Preseason rankings by the SAA coaches had the Pirates in fifth place in the conference, just below Rhodes which was at fourth. Currently Southwestern occupies the next to last spot in the eight team SAA rankings.

The outcome of games against this season’s common opponents with Rhodes have been:
a win over Belhaven 1-0, Rhodes beat Belhaven 2-0;
a 0-0 draw with Berry, Rhodes defeated Berry 1-0;
a loss to Oglethorpe 2-0; Rhodes edged Oglethorpe 2-1;
fell to Sewanee 2-1, Rhodes tied Sewanee 1-1;
and a draw with Centre 1-1.

The Pirates leading scorer is Jackie Powell with 7 goals, putting her in a tie for third place among the SAA teams. As mentioned above, both Senior Sophia Rall and Sophomore Maddie Carter have 5 goals each to lead the Lynx.

Southwestern has 15 goals total this year in 14 games producing a per game average of 1.071, the last of the 8 teams in the league in both categories. Rhodes has made 23 in its 13 matches for an average of 1.769, placing it sixth in both the number and average per game for league teams.

Rhodes has played Southwestern several times in the past, having won 4 of the matches and losing 2. The last game they played was in 2015 and the Lynx won that match 3-0.

Linda Hamilton became the coach of the Pirates in 2015 where her record is 99-73-20. Her career record is 163-163-15. Last year Southwestern’s record was 9-7-1. She took the team to the NCAA tournament in 2019.  She played soccer at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina, earning All-America status and all-conference honors all four years. During her playing career she was a member of the United States National Team. Hamilton was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
She might be an opponent's coach, but she was and is a true soccer lover, on the field as a player and on the sidelines as a coach You might like to read the announcement of her election to the  National Soccer Hall of Fame.

 Southwestern has a non-conference game tonight (Tuesday) with Howard Payne University.

Sunday afternoon forecast:  noon: sunny,  first kick temperature  73 degrees, 2 p.m. temperature 78. (forecast updated 10/26/25 10 a.m.

 As an old timer, I must include the coincidence that Rhodes College was once called Southwestern and Southwestern at Memphis, undergoing a name change to Rhodes in 1984

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October 19, 2025 - [Correction October 20, 2025: early post had the Sewanee-Trinity game being played on Sunday, when it was actually a Saturday game.] At the end of the weekend, Rhodes stands alone at the top of the SAA conference standings. The two teams that shared the top spot with Rhodes going into the weekend, Sewanee and Trinity, played each other to a 1-1 draw Saturday. That dropped both to a tie for second in the standings based on points awarded in conference only games.There are two non-conference matches to be played Tuesday, October 21, by league teams. The full league standings will be posted here after those games. League teams have three conference games remaining in the regular season. As is repeated often here, the league standings are the primary element to determine which six teams are invited to the SAA Championship Tournament playoffs, with other factors considered if there are ties at the end of the regular season.The SAA has established a criteria for the ranking as it would apply to the tournament seeding, which has been published here previously. The SAA tournament scheduling bracket has also been posted here.

Rhodes vs. Berry

Rhodes vs. Oglethorpe

Preview: Rhodes vs. Oglethorpe