OXFORD, Miss. – Facing its second-straight road trip, the Mississippi State soccer program gears up for a Magnolia Cup showdown when the Dawgs travel to Oxford to face in-state rival Ole Miss (9-3-2, 3-3-0 SEC) on Thursday night. The contest will kick off at 6 p.m. and will be aired on SEC Network.
The Bulldogs enter the contest at No. 25 in the most recent Top Drawer Soccer rankings. State also received votes in the most recent United Soccer Coaches Poll.
“We’re looking forward to trying to get back on track after a difficult week,” head coach James Armstrong said. “Even though it’s a rivalry game, it’s still the next game which is always important. The girls have trained hard this week and they’re excited to play. We’re looking forward to a highly competitive game on Thursday.”
MSU heads to Oxford with a defense that is currently tied for fourth nationally in goals-against average (.429). The backline is also second in the SEC in shutouts (9) and shutouts percentage (.643).
Ole Miss enters the match having fallen to Texas A&M, 2-1. The Rebels entered halftime trailing 1-0 before finding the equalizer in the 84th minute. Two minutes later, however, the Aggies would score the game-winner.
L, 0-1 at Auburn
MSU suffered its first road loss of the season, falling 1-0 at Auburn. In her first-career start, goalkeeper Mac Titus kept the Tigers off the board four different times in the opening half. The 0-0 score marked the seventh time this season that the Bulldogs faced a scoreless tie at the break. State held Auburn scoreless until the 79th minute when a low, hard cross was delivered in front of the box and slid home for the eventual game-winner.
The 20 goals scored by the Bulldogs are already higher than what MSU finished with in six previous seasons. Sixteen of the 20 total goals have been scored by underclassmen.
State’s backline, containing mostly upperclassmen, has recorded nine shutouts thus far, tied for most in a season as a team. The dynamic duo of Wadsworth and Haley McWhirter have combined for 11 goals, six assists and six game-winners in their first seasons in the Maroon and White.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, visit HailState.com or search for “HailStateSOC” on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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