STARKVILLE – As Mississippi State entered overtime against Providence College in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs were searching for someone to answer the call and send them into the next round of the tournament.
With her fifth goal of the season, Maggie Wadsworth did just that.
The Maroon and White faithful erupted when Wadsworth launched the ball into the back of the net to give the Bulldogs the 1-0 lead over the Friars with 13 minutes remaining in the extra period of the match.
After scoring the integral goal in overtime, the exhilarating moment hit Wadsworth like a wave as she was swarmed by her teammates.
“I’m feeling pretty excited [and] proud of everybody,” Wadsworth said. “We worked really hard. [After the goal] I was taking a little two-second breather on the ground afterward [because] I was relieved [and] ready to get on with that second half of overtime.”
The sophomore from Flowery Branch, Georgia has made a tremendous impact since arriving in Starkville last year. Wadsworth earned SEC Freshman of the Week Honors twice and was named College Soccer News National Player of the Week after scoring two goals in State’s upset victory over Arkansas last season.
State’s talented forward has logged 1,180 minutes on the pitch and has started in 18 of 21 games for the Bulldogs this season. Wadsworth’s contributions in the Maroon and White have molded her into an extraordinary leader in her first two years at MSU.
“Maggie brings it every single day,” head coach James Armstrong said. “She’s got some really important goals [and] big moments and that’s what big-time players do. I’m most proud of the fact that she didn’t give up. The [opposing player] was grabbing her and the goalkeeper was coming out and that was a really brave play by Maggie there and that’s the difference between winning and losing.”
The eruption of cowbells and celebratory cheers from the fans as Wadsworth put the Bulldogs on the board was unmatched. State fans showed up and stayed for the entirety of the 110-minute match and did not waver.
“We love our fans so much [and] they are one of our biggest reasons for coming out and doing what we do every day,” Wadsworth said. “Having their support by our sides for the whole game and not seeing the crowd start to walk away as we’re getting into the second half of overtime…
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