After opening the 2005 fall soccer season at home this past weekend, the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs will take to the road to do battle in competition this weekend.
State will face Georgia State today at 4 p.m. in Atlanta and will travel to Mobile to play South Alabama at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Friday
Although they have only played just one game on the young season schedule, there appears to be a legitimate scoring threat in the Georgia State Lady Panthers.
Freshman Kari Quinn and junior Lauren Chavez each had a pair of goals this past weekend as the Lady Panthers picked up the school’s first victory as members of the Colonial Athletic Association with a 4-1 victory over Winthrop University this past weekend in Rock Hill, S.C.
Although this duo seems to be potent enough to score against anyone, Mississippi State has a threat themselves in senior goalkeeper Emily Meyers. In just two contests this season, Meyers has only allowed one goal while denying 15.
This past weekend against Iowa State she collected her fifth shutout of her career.
“It’s nice to get a win in the first game,” head coach Domenic Martelli told the university’s Web site. “We could have shut them out if not for a real mental lapse after we scored our first goal, but we’ll work hard in practice to get ready for our SEC weekend coming up.”
With the defensive tenacity of the Lady Bulldog’s and the offensive prowess of the Lady Panthers, this weekend’s game should prove to be one to remember.
Sunday
The University of South Alabama opened the 2005 season with a 2-1 win over Birmingham-Southern this past weekend. The Lady Jaguars got goals from sophomore Kelly Tarrant and freshman Carly Williams to secure their victory.
This year’s Lady Jaguar starting lineup consists of only three seniors, with the other majority being mainly freshman. One could say this year’s USA squad is young, but the same could be said of Mississippi State’s squad.
The Lady Bulldog’s have played six freshmen this season, who have collectively averaged 86 minutes of play out of a standard 90 minute contest.
“The freshmen are doing a very good job for us,” MSU head coach Neil Macdonald said. “I think we need a little bit more leadership from some of the upperclassmen. Overall with these past two game though, the freshmen have done very well.”
The Lady Jaguars are known for their methodical style of play. They never beat themselves with penalties. They use hard nosed defense and take the best of the opportunities presented to them on offense.