Mississippi State University soccer (1-0-0) started a new era on a high note on Aug. 18, with a win in front of the largest crowd in school history.
The lone score of Friday night came from MaKayla Waldner, assisted by A.K. Ward in the 58th minute.
New head coach Tom Anagnost said he was proud of the win, even if the game had a slow start.
“An ugly win is still a good win,” Anagnost said. “I thought our kids did a really good job in the second half right off the bat, pushing the pace and the tempo of the game and playing with urgency. That resulted in the goal and more chances. We beat a good team.”
Waldner also commented on the tone shift the team had early in the second half.
”At the start of the second half we kind of came together as a team, and we just decided, we had to get one,” said Waldner, a sophomore forward from Dexter, Missouri. ”When A.K. (Ward) played the ball out wide to me, I just knew. I had 100 percent faith in me from just training all the time, and just the way they push me. I knew I could hit the shot.”
More: A lot of new things for MSU soccer heading into the season
Even though the score was close, the stat sheet shows the true extent of MSU’s win. Of 18 shots taken, nine were on-goal for State, meanwhile, Stephen F. Austin State University had only six shots none of which were on-goal.
Though Waldner was the only one credited with a goal, the entire team played a part in this win. Seven of the 11 starters played all 90 minutes, and only four girls were substituted.
Anagnost said the difference came from the record breaking crowd. The crowd totaled at 1349, a school record for a single game.
“I am so happy about the turnout and the support by everybody in Starkville and the community and the athletic department,” Anagnost said. “It was an incredible soccer atmosphere. Our kids fed off of it, and they were the difference in our game, and we want them to come back.”
Contact Melissa Weitzel at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter.