The Mississippi State University women’s soccer team will look to pick up it first SEC win of the season this weekend as both Vanderbilt and Texas A&M pay a visit to Starkville. The Bulldogs are coming off of a tough game against Florida last Friday that saw them wear down in the second half. The loss dropped State’s overall record for the season to 3-10 for the young Bulldog squad. 
One of the bright spots for the Bulldogs this season has been the play of senior Shannen Jainudeen, who leads the team with seven goals on the season. She has been able to use her size and strength to spark the team’s offense, which has struggled at times this season in putting the ball in the back of the net. Jainudeen will need to keep the hot scoring streak alive this weekend if the Bulldogs want to upset their incoming SEC foes.
Vanderbilt comes into town sporting a record of 5-8-1 and is currently on a four-game losing streak. Their last game resulted in a 6-2 loss versus Texas A&M. The Commodores, just like the Bulldogs, have been unable to pick up their first SEC win of the season.
Head coach Aaron Gordon described the Commodores at practice on Wednesday as a team that is much better than their record reflects and spoke highly of the Commodores’ offense.
“Vanderbilt is a dangerous team. Their record doesn’t indicate it but they have three good forwards,” Gordon said. “This is a league of forwards, so they can score. They have scored on everyone in the league, so we will certainly have our work cut out for us.”
Statistics paint Vanderbilt as a side with defensive struggles in SEC play. Vanderbilt ranks 12th in goals allowed with an average of  1.57 per game and has given up 210 shots, giving them an average of 15 shots per game, which puts it in the bottom three in this category. Goalkeeper Christiana Ogunsami has been forced into making 84 saves on the season, which places her at first in the SEC in saves on the season, and she currently averaged six saves per game for the Commodores.
Offensively, Vanderbilt ranks fifth in shots at 227, with an average shots per game total presently at 16.2l. While Vanderbilt attempts a lot of shots, its main problem seems to be that it does not put shots on target as often as it should. Of these 227 shots, only 95 have been on the frame of the goal, which equates to an on goal percentage of roughly 41 percent. The Commodores will need to be more precise with their scoring opportunities if they want to continue to be an up-and-coming team in the SEC. 
In examining a couple of names that stand out for the Commodores, the first player to identify is sophomore forward Simone Charley, who leads Vanderbilt in points and is tied for the team lead in assists. She had a very solid freshman season that was good enough to earn her a place on the All-Freshman team in 2013. Something interesting to note about Charley is that she is also a member of the track team at Vanderbilt and was good enough to qualify for the NCAA Championships held in Eugene, Oregon, where she placed ninth in the triple jump. The Bulldogs will need to keep Charley in their sights at all times, or she more than likely will ignite the scoreboard for the Commodores.
The other name of significance for Vanderbilt is freshman forward Colby Ciarrocca, who leads the team in goals and has leaped to second on the team in points. She was named SEC Player of the Week earlier this season, when she was able to score four goals in two games for the Commodores in the early part of the season. With her alongside Charley, Vanderbilt is not short of scoring threats, so the Bulldog defense, which has struggled to find their footing this season, will need to come ready to play on Friday, or it could be a long night for the young back-line. 
MSU freshman midfielder Hannah Smith said she thinks the Bulldogs are ready for the Commodores after a good bit of preparation.
“I think we had a really good practice (Wednesday) and were ready,” she said. “We have a lot to get organized for Friday, but today’s intensity was good, and I think we will be ready.”
Turning toward Sunday’s match against Texas A&M, Gordon anticipates a tough match-up versus a veteran squad, who he is glad to be playing at home rather than on the road. 
“They’re a different animal. A&M is a senior lead team, with a whole lot of good players and traditions with success,” he said. “The good thing is we have them on a Sunday, so everyone has to go through the whole Sunday routine, and we have them at home.”
The stats don’t credit the Aggies as a good offensive team, but rather the best offensive team in the SEC. The Aggies rank first in goals with 37 on the season, giving them an average of 2.64 goals per game. Along with goals, they also are tied for first in assists in the SEC with 33.  They have attempted 309 shots on the season, with 144 of those being on goal, and lastly, they rank first in total points with 107, which is 10 more than the next closest team. As the stats suggest, A&M is an offensive juggernaut, who is not shy about lighting up the scoreboard as it has scored more than three goals in a game seven times this season. 
While the offense is the strength of the team, the defense stacks up mostly average by SEC standards. They come into Starkville ranking eighth in points allowed, 10th in shutouts with only four and sixth in shots allowed with 140. The Aggies have given a goal up in each of their previous five games and will look to end that streak Sunday. 
The No. 11 Aggies are led by senior attackers Shea Groom, Kelley Monogue and defender Meghan Streight. Groom leads the team in goals with 12 and also in points with 26.  Groom has already earned an SEC Player of the Week award this season and was named to the First Team All-SEC team in 2013, after netting 14 goals last season. She is one of the most potent scorers in the SEC.
Midfielder Monogue is A&M’s leader in the middle of the pitch and does a little bit of everything for the Aggies. She leads the team in assists with seven, and also in shots with 59 attempts on the season. Monogue has also added nine goals on the season placing her second on the team. Monogue earned Second Team All-SEC in 2013 and may be well on her way to receiving a First Team selection if she continues to play at this high level. 
Lastly, Streight is the leader of the Aggie defense. She also performed well enough last season to be selected to the All-SEC First Team and has started every game since her freshman campaign. If the Bulldogs want to score on Sunday, they will have to go through her.
MSU freshman Mallory Eubanks pointed out a couple of areas emphasized at practice this week that could be big going into this weekend’s match-ups. 
“I think one-vs-one defending, taking people on and just really trying to connect, so that we’re an offensive threat but also helping our defense will be key,” she said.
The Bulldogs take on Vanderbilt Friday at 7 p.m. and Texas A&M Sunday at 1 p.m.  As always, admission is free at the Mississippi State Soccer Field.