Memphis – The sun beamed, and the wind was constant while Rhodes College hosted Southern Athletic Association rival Millsaps College to begin conference play. Rhodes took hold of the game early and never looked back on their way to a 3-1 win.

The Lynx began the first half on the front foot and looked to set the tone of the game early by pressing the Millsaps back line. The pressure paid off as Rhodes forced turnovers early and maintained the majority of possession. Rhodes opened up the scoring in the 38th minute as freshman Ben Barfield crashed onto a deflection in the box and neatly volleyed the ball, hitting the post, before it went in. That was Barfield's first collegiate goal.

The second half opened up more as Millsaps was forced to send more players forward in an attempt to level the score. Rhodes capitalized on the counter in the 52nd minute when Maxwell Hughes swung a cross into forward Jack Lippe who leaped to meet the ball and guide it in with his head. This was Lippe's first goal of the year. In the 73rd minute, after some brilliant moves in the box Jereme Gordon struck the post on his shot, but forward Ian Schiller was there to put the chance away for his second goal of the year. Millsaps pulled a goal back in the 82nd minute but it would prove too little, too late as Rhodes would see the game out from that point.

Rhodes prepares for a trip to Atlanta this Sunday for a game against Emory University at 12 p.m. ET.