After a tough road trip last week, the Mississippi State University soccer team dropped another pair of SEC matches against No. 25 Kentucky and on the road against Arkansas over the weekend.
In the weekend opener, the Bulldogs fell to the Wildcats 3-1 despite a solid team performance highlighted by multiple offensive surges.
Down 3-0 late in the second half, senior Elisabeth Sullivan scored her 12th goal of the season to trim the lead to 3-1. Sullivan matched her season high set last year and sits three goals back of the school record set by Amy Van Zandt in 2001.
Despite the record-tying goal, Sullivan said the Bulldogs need more practice will help the team eliminate distractions moving forward.
“It’s just more practice. We just have to keep our heads up and not get distraught,” she said. “We just have to come out to practice tomorrow and keep pushing forward.”
The Bulldogs found more scoring opportunities later in the half, but Wildcat goalkeeper Kayla King turned away the scoring threats.
King finished the night with six saves. 
Head coach Aaron Gordon said his team responded well after trailing, but he credited King for keeping the shots in check.
“We got more numbers for it in the second half, but the reality is we had our best chances at the end of the first half,” he said. “We held them in check, and (Sullivan) really got in which is what she does in this league, and they’ve got a great goalkeeper. She made two good saves in the first half and made a great save against Dana Forbes in the second. Sometimes that’s the difference in a game. We just couldn’t get it done.”
Despite an improved second half effort, Gordon said he felt his team did not take advantage of opportunities.
“I think we left a few on the table, to be honest with you. Kentucky is a great team. Their coaching staff has done a great job since he’s been there. I would like to be able to down the road be able to emulate some things they’ve done over the past five years,” he said. “They’re well coached and have good players. I think if anything we take away from this game, we just left a few on the table.”
The Bulldogs welcomed back junior Shannen Jainudeen from injury, which provided more depth for the team. Gordon said Jainudeen, who primarily saw minutes as a defender, was converted to a midfielder to help with offensive attacks.
“When you start moving people in and out of the back there’s so much coordination, it’s almost like an offensive line in football,” he said. “But what’s been great is playing her in midfield and helping us with the counter. She’s going to continue to play there and help our team.”
Following the loss, the Bulldogs quickly boarded a plane Friday night and flew out to Fayetteville, Ark., for a Sunday afternoon showdown against the Razorbacks. The matched proved to be a defensive struggle with Arkansas outlasting MSU 1-0. 
After a scoreless first half, Arkansas’s Ashleigh Ellenwood scored the eventual game-winner four minutes into the second half.
Led by senior co-captain Morganne Grimes, the MSU back line limited the Razorback’s offense to nine shots. 
Both squads combined for just 15 shots and three on-goal chances, with both goalkeepers recording a save each.
Despite the loss, Gordon applauded his team’s defensive effort.
“It was a very tight, physical contest that could have gone either way. Arkansas is a tough team that plays very direct and is good on the set pieces, but I thought we did well defending them,” Gordon said in a news release. “Morganne Grimes was terrific today. She played very hard and did a good job directing our back line. I thought we played as well as we could play. It was a tight game that could have gone either way, and I’m proud of our team for they way we competed today.”
The setback dropped MSU to 3-9 overall and 0-5 in conference play. MSU returns home Friday hosting No. 8 Florida at 7 p.m. at the MSU Soccer Field.