The Mississippi State soccer team (5-12, 0-8 SEC) turned in its best defensive weekend of its campaign but still fell twice to SEC foes Georgia and Tennessee. The Georgia Bulldogs (7-8-1, 5-2-1) pulled out a tightly-contested 1-0 victory over MSU Friday. Tennessee (8-8, 5-3) left Starkville with a 2-1 victory Sunday.
“I thought we played well overall,” MSU head coach Neil Macdonald said. “Georgia is a great team, and I thought we matched up very well with them. It looked like this game was going to end 1-0 after the first 10 to 15 minutes, but it was a matter of to which team.”
UGA tested the stout MSU defense with 32 shots, of which 11 were on target. MSU was solid defensively but again struggled to test the opposition. MSU failed to force a save from UGA goalkeeper Michelle Betos on just three shots.
“Mississippi State really low pressured us defensively, and it was hard to break them down,” UGA head coach Patrick Baker said. “They had a lot of energy and were flying early at home.” MSU has been playing a defensive formation with only one striker for most of the SEC season.
UGA controlled the first half, but the visitors could not make anything from numerous clear scoring chances.
UGA freshman Ashley Miller had 10 attempts on goal, the most of any player in an SEC game in Georgia history.
Georgia piled on the pressure in the second half, creating numerous scoring opportunities inside the MSU 18-yard box. UGA fired 19 second-half shots, forcing six saves from MSU goalkeeper Taryn Holland.
UGA netted the game winner in the 77th minute. MSU was caught out of place, and Lauren Glancy found herself unmarked with the goal at her mercy. The junior then hit the ball high and to the right of Holland for the 1-0 lead.
UGA extended its winning streak to four over the weekend after it also picked up a victory over Ole Miss. MSU has now dropped its first eight conference games for the first time since 1998, when the Bulldogs went winless in conference play.
Sunday senior defender Bethany Frazier gave MSU its second lead of the SEC campaign just 16 minutes into the game. The goal was the Bulldog’s third of the SEC season and first since Oct. 10. The Volunteers fought back in the second half, netting twice to come away with a 2-1 win.
“It’s a disappointing result, but I am very proud of the way our team played today,” Macdonald said. “This was a tough outcome because I don’t think we could have played better. We just got beat by a wonderful strike.”
Kylee Rossi’s 49th minute equalizer was her 12th goal of the seaon and SEC-leading sixth in conference play. UT midfielder Devon Swain would give UT the win in the 78th minute, scoring her third goal of the season. Rossi currently has the eighth most goals in SEC history.
“Today was a tough-fought match, and I give Mississippi State credit for battling for the full 90 minutes,” UT head coach Angela Kelly said. “This always seems to be a difficult place for us to play.”
MSU held UT to only four shots on goal, but UT made the most of its limited opportunities, with Frazier needing to clear one UT shot off the goal line.
The win for UT gives it a winning record this season for the first time since August. The Volunteers have won five of their last six against the Bulldogs.
MSU takes an unusual Thursday trip to Lexington, Ky. to meet the Kentucky Wildcats (3-11-2, 1-6-1 SEC) this week before returning home Sunday to host Vanderbilt (8-7-1, 2-6-0).