The year 2004 was unforgettable: Athens hosted the XXVIII Olympiad, George W. Bush won re-election for president of the United States and Mississippi State’s basketball team won its first SEC championship since the 1960s.
It also marked the last time a Bulldog soccer team competed in the SEC tournament. That year, exactly like this season, started out with a 2-1 win over a non-conference foe in Starkville.
Last Friday night, State defeated Southeastern Louisiana  2-1 behind goals from freshman Honeye Heydari and newcomer Sasha Vrany.
 It was just the start ninth year coach Neil Macdonald was looking for.
“Our non-conference needs to be better than last year. We had some bad non-conference losses,” Macdonald said.
 To buck the trend of non-SEC tournament seasons, the Bulldogs will have to rely on veterans and newcomers to take the team to the next level.
Players like Heydari and freshman Shelby Jordan are already making strides, along with other young players.
“Shelby Jordan at right back has made an impact, and I feel like everybody will make an impact eventually,” junior Morganne Grimes said.
Much like a ten-win football season or an SEC title in basketball, making the SEC tournament for this program is something that could take it to the next level.
For upperclassmen Grimes and Madison McKee, making the SEC Tournament is something they have always cherished.
“We are aiming to go the SEC Tournament. It’s my senior year, so it is now or never,” McKee said.
To accomplish this, the Lady Bulldogs will have to do something the team have only done twice in its history: finish above or at .500 in SEC play.
The challenge is doable but not easy. With games at Auburn, Florida and Alabama and at home against LSU, improvement not only from last year, but also from game to game is vital.
Development of younger players and advancement in the possession game and aggressiveness is something both team leaders emphasized.
 ”We need to play possession and go out with our game plan and don’t drop our level of play,” McKee said.
Grimes agreed with her co-captain.
“We need to be more aggressive on and off the ball. We also need to communicate better on the field,” she said.
Defensively, State is led by senior goalkeeper Skylar Rosson. This experience in the goal will be key to helping the younger players on the team.
If State is going to take that step and become a force in the SEC, these plans of action need to take place quickly.
MSU hosts Tennessee Martin tonight and South Alabama on Sunday in the Bulldog Classic this weekend before four more vital non-conference games against Georgia State, University of Louisiana Monroe, Mississippi Valley State and the Golden Eagles of Southern Miss.  State then hits the road to Columbia, South Carolina on Sept. 14 to start a new era of Bulldog soccer.
Naturally, since the Bulldogs have not tasted postseason play since 2004, they are a bit of an underdog in terms of expectations, but with veteran leaders and a youthful exuberance, they can accomplish the goals set for the season.
So maybe, just maybe, success can be found on the field to make 2012 another year to remember.