Mississippi State University soccer earned their second consecutive win against Texas A&M University Thursday night in College Station, Texas.
MSU did not score until the 52nd minute of the second half – breaking the 0-0 tie. The goal was received by an Aggie defender, who fouled freshman Alivia Buxton, which earned her a free kick.
The ball was then headed by an Aggie at the top of the box and passed to sophomore Haley McWhirter. After a few bounces, she kicked it into the front of the goal, where an Aggie defender poked the ball into the net.
After the win in College Station, MSU soccer head coach James Armstrong said he is proud of the team and their effort in the hard-fought match against the Aggies.
“Tonight was a hard-fought game,” Armstrong said. “We are immensely proud of the effort of the entire team put in tonight, as we really needed everyone.”
Sophomore goalkeeper Maddy Anderson continues to consistently make her presence felt this season. Less than a week after breaking the program record for career shutouts, Anderson earned the eighth of the season and 14th total against the Aggies.
The Bulldogs have seen a plethora of talented freshmen players, such as Maggie Wadsworth, who earned SEC Freshman Player of the Week for two consecutive weeks and was also recognized as the College Soccer News Women’s National Player of the Week for her performance in the upset win against the University of Arkansas.
Texas A&M and MSU were in a defensive battle for much of the game, but the Aggies slipped up – leading to a Bulldog victory as MSU remains undefeated on the season.
With another SEC West opponent in LSU coming to Starkville Sunday, coach Armstrong said MSU soccer is hoping for a huge crowd and looking forward to getting back to work.
“Texas A&M is one of the toughest places to get a result in the country, so we will enjoy this one tonight and get back to work Friday,” Armstrong said. “We are looking forward to a big crowd at home Sunday night against LSU.”
To open the season, the Bulldogs have two consecutive conference wins – the first time in program history that MSU soccer has started with 2-0-0 in conference play. The 8-0-2 start is also the program’s best in history.
The season is still young, but MSU soccer has continued to show flashes of excellence during the first few weeks of the season.