Vanderbilt senior Michelle Bruntlett’s game winning penalty kick in last Sunday’s overtime win against Georgia ended the Southeastern Conference tournament hopes for the Mississippi State women’s soccer team, but the Bulldogs can still play for pride.
Vandy’s 1-0 win over Georgia combined with State’s 1-0 loss to South Carolina last Sunday resulted in MSU’s mathematical elimination.
“Not making the tournament is always a big disappointment, but in terms of the progress of the program I think we are moving along in the right direction,” said head coach Neil McGuire.
“The SEC is extremely competitive and the fact that we can beat Florida and not make the tournament obviously shows how hard this conference is.”
Although the Bulldogs will not receive an invitation to the upcoming SEC tournament, their final two games of the season are of great significance.
State travels to Oxford tonight to face arch rival, the Mississippi Rebels, (13-4-1, 4-3-1 SEC) in the second annual Magnolia Cup game. The winner of the game keeps the cup on its campus and holds state bragging rights for the following year. Mississippi took home the cup last year in a 1-0 thriller.
Mississippi team is second place in the SEC West and leads the conference in every major offensive category.
In 16 games this season, Mississippi has scored 51 goals and averages 3.19 goals per game.
Junior midfielder Kristal Menard leads the Rebel offensive attack. Menard is seventh in the SEC with seven goals this season.
“Ole Miss is our obvious rival,” said MSU defender Morgan McDonald. “It’s just gonna take all of our heart and intensity. It’s not who the better team is, but who wants it more.”
The Bulldogs step out of conference for their final game to face in-state rival and Conference USA foe Southern Mississippi (6-9-2, 1-6-2 C-USA).
State will try and avenge a 3-2 loss against USM last September in the first ever meeting between the two schools.
MSU can capitalize on a Southern defense that ranks last in goals allowed and goals against average in the conference. The Eagles have given up 21 goals this season, an average of 2.33 per game.
“We have to come into this weekend with the mentality that we can win,” said forward Betty Ann Casey. “We’re gonna work our hardest in practice this week and we are gonna work even harder during the games.”