After a four-game Southeastern Conference homestand in which they posted a 1-2-1 record, the Bulldog soccer team will hit the road tonight to begin a weekend of pivotal SEC West matchups.
Up first for the Bulldogs will be a trip to the plains to take on the Auburn Tigers at 7 p.m. tonight. Auburn enters tonight’s game atop the SEC West, along with posting a conference best record of 8-2-1 (3-0-1 SEC).
The Bulldog offense, which has been inconsistent at times, will face a swarming Auburn defense that is one of the SEC’s finest.
Led by keeper Megan Rivera, Auburn has allowed only six goals in a total of eleven games, a goals against average of 0.52. The senior net minder also leads the league in shutouts with five, posting an incredible .867 save percentage.
“Right now it seems like we are kind of in a funk,” said forward Heidi Ondra. “I think if one forward gets a goal then we will all start scoring.”
Head coach Neil MacDonald willingly acknowledges the difficulty in defeating the Auburn club, but said he believes how his team creates chances may be the key to success.
“I think we did a good job of it last weekend and I think if we can emulate that and have the intensity to win the first ball, we’ll do very well,” he said. “I think winning the first ball and challenging the second ball is the crucial point for this team.”
MSU has never beaten the Tigers in Auburn, and has scored only one goal in four trips on the plains.
Following the contest with Auburn, the Bulldogs head west to take on the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama in a 1 p.m. Sunday game.
Just opposite of their rival Auburn, the Tide (5-7-0, 1-3-0 SEC) finds itself in last place in the West following identical 1-0 weekend losses at Kentucky and Vanderbilt.
Despite the mediocre record, Bama boasts one of the SEC’s best offenses. Alabama has racked up 24 goals in 12 games of play.
Freshman forward Jordan O’Banion’s seven goals, including three game-winners, ranks her second in the conference with a goals per game average of 0.58.
“I know we can beat Alabama, so we need to put that one away,” said junior defender Heather Ammann.
MSU has not lost in Tuscaloosa since 1998, and the two clubs have tied the last two meetings by identical scores of 1-1.
Still somewhat early in the SEC portion of the schedule, the Bulldogs realize how important these two games are in regards to conference positioning along with earning a postseason berth.
“We really need to get on a roll,” captain Karen Sandrik said. “We need to come out and play as hard as we can because we are looking to win this weekend.”
“I think we need to approach it as a weekend where we need to pick up points,” MacDonald said. “It’s all about points at this stage.”
State currently has four points and is tied with LSU for the eighth and final spot for the SEC Tournament schedule for Nov. 4-7.
Teams are rewarded three points for an SEC win, one point for a tie and zero points for a loss. The eight teams with the most points, regardless of division, receive invitations to the conference tourney in Orange Beach, Ala.