The Mississippi State University soccer team faced off against the University of Mississippi for the prestigious Magnolia Cup last Thursday. 
Both the MSU Bulldogs and the Ole Miss Rebels have started off the 2022 season with huge wins against SEC opponents. Before the match between the two rivals, the Bulldogs trailed the Rebels in the national rankings. Ole Miss entered the match as the No. 24 ranked team, and MSU was ranked right behind the Rebels as the No. 25 team.
After starting the season hot, MSU soccer has faced some trials during their SEC schedule — including the injury of junior goalkeeper Maddy Anderson. In the past week, the Bulldogs had dropped matches against the University of South Carolina and Auburn University. The schedule does not lighten up anytime soon, with upcoming games against the University of Alabama, Vanderbilt University and the University of Georgia looming.
In Anderson’s absence, sophomore Mac Titus has stepped up to try to fill the shoes of the talented goalkeeper. Titus made her first career start against the Auburn Tigers — holding the Tigers scoreless in the first half of the game before eventually giving up a goal in the 79th minute. Titus served a shutout against the Ole Miss Rebels, which aided the Bulldogs in their 1-0 victory in Oxford.
Under head coach James Armstrong, the Bulldogs have 13 total shutouts and added to the tally after Thursday night’s match in the battle for the Magnolia Cup. The match was silent until sophomore Haley McWhirter scored in the 74th minute. McWhirter scored the only goal Thursday night, but it was the goal the Bulldogs needed to bring home the Magnolia Cup for the third straight year.
After Thursday’s win in Oxford over the Rebels, coach Armstrong said he is proud of the team’s effort and the way the team has handled the adversity they have faced in recent weeks.
“The effort that the entire team put in tonight was absolutely incredible,” Armstrong said. “They faced adversity head on, and we couldn’t be more proud to bring the cup back to Starkville. Special thanks, as well, to the fans who made the journey — they were behind us every step of the way.” 
MSU soccer returns to Starkville with an important road victory over the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford. To make the win even sweeter, the Magnolia Cup will reside in Starkville for the third straight year. However, the road to success will not be easy, especially in the SEC.
Assistant coach for the Bulldogs Brian Dunleavy also took to Twitter to celebrate the win, stating what the win meant to the staff and the team. 
With the win against Ole Miss, the Bulldogs improve to 10-2-3 on the season and all-important conference matchups are looming. MSU soccer faces off against the No. 1 University of Alabama Crimson Tide Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Starkville.