By Robert M. Casner
Sports Writer

Sunday afternoon against Auburn, fans had the opportunity to see a spectacular goal from junior Taylor Cunningham.

Then again, jaw-dropping goals are becoming the norm for her.

Cunningham, whose six goals on the year led the Lady Rebels and is tied for second in the SEC, combines her speed, athleticism and ball-striking ability to make her one of the SEC’s most dangerous strikers.

For a player that scored six times in the previous two years combined, one could say she has made significant improvements in her game.

“I have grown as a player. As a freshman, when I got the ball at my feet, I got really nervous and felt I had to give the ball away,” Cunningham said. “Now when I get it, I settle down and see what my options are.”

She is among the Top 10 in nearly every SEC offensive category and her 14 points rank fifth best in the conference.

Her performance on the field has not gone unnoticed.

Cunningham, a Louisville, Ky. native, was named SEC Player of the Week after scoring three goals and an assist in the Ole Miss Nike Invitational in September.

The very next day, the national media recognized Cunningham for her performance as she was named to Soccer America’s team of the week. It was the first time a Lady Rebel had received the honor since Danielle Johnson in 2007. According to head coach Steve Holeman, Cunningham has made major strides while at Ole Miss.

“She has put in a lot of hard work in the off-season,” Holeman said. “I think that the spring for her was a huge transition. She has worked incredibly hard, matured, and grown as a player. When we recruited her, we knew she was someone that could turn into someone special and now she strikes the ball incredibly well and is putting the ball in the back of the net.”

That someone special enters this weekend’s game against South Carolina averaging 3.22 shots per game and 1.56 points per game. Her teammate, former dorm mate, and only other representative from the junior class, Lilly Crabtree knows how dangerous of a player Cunningham has become.

“It’s really awesome. Coming in as a freshman she stood out and last year when she was about half way through the season, she really broke through,” Crabtree said. “This year she has ceased to amaze me with her shots and goals.”

Cunningham’s ability was never doubted as she came from a club team in Kentucky, the Javanon Soccer Club that won seven straight State Cup Championships. She was also a member of the Kentucky Olympic Development Program for five years. At Ballard High School, she dominated the game like the Chicago Bulls of the 1990’s.

Cunningham’s numbers included 80 goals and 43 career assists to go with the recognition as team MVP three times.

She credits her high school soccer experience for transitioning her to the college game.

“My team was beyond everybody else in the state. We would go across the U.S. and play teams from Texas, California, and so I definitely knew what to expect coming into college,” Cunningham said. “In college, you play people all over the world who bring diversity and different things to the table.”

Away from the field where Cunningham does not have to use her 5’7 frame to bully defenders, she enjoys relaxing, hanging out with friends, and going to the movies, things she calls “normal stuff”.

As any native Kentuckian should, she likes watching basketball and also enjoys watching football and baseball.

With big games looming on the Lady Rebels schedule, Coach Holeman knows that Cunningham, as dangerous as she already is, can continue to build.

“I think there is still room for her to improve and that is the good thing about it. She is not quite the complete striker yet, but she gets better and better every time out,” Holeman said.

For the Lady Rebels, they will be counting on Cunningham to help lead an attack that ranks No. 1 in the SEC in goals scored and goals per game.

This weekend, two Top 10 teams, Florida and South Carolina, will attempt to control the attack that has given opponents fits this season.