The Mississippi State University women’s soccer team traveled to the swamplands of Gainesville, Florida, to take on the Gators, earning their first win against the team since 2016.
The Bulldogs slid by with a 1-0 victory against the Florida Gators, making this MSU’s third victory over the Gators in the past two decades. The win also marked the Bulldogs’ first ever victory against Florida in Gator territory.
The game started off slow in the first period with several fouls by each team, but the game began heating up when Mississippi State’s junior midfielder Ilana Izquierdo got a hold of the ball and secured her first assist of the season.
Izquierdo passed the ball into the possession of junior forward Aitana Martinez-Montoya, who shot the ball past Florida’s goalkeeper around the 18-minute mark of the match. This goal by the Bulldogs would end up being the first and only score of the match. The netted success was Martinez-Montoya’s fourth goal of the season.
Mississippi State’s offense was fired up and continued to take shots against the Gators. However, Florida’s defense struck back, not allowing another ball to slip by. The Bulldogs’ defense was also giving it their all, holding Florida to only one shot attempt before halftime.
The two teams’ aggression and desire to take the victory was apparent. The first period concluded with a total of seven fouls for Mississippi State and six for the Florida Gators. Two yellow cards were handed out to Florida players Lena Bailey and Daviana Vaka.
MSU’s defense came out hot as the second half commenced, preventing the Gators from evening the score. The Bulldogs stayed strong throughout the match and did not allow Florida to take another shot until the last 13 minutes of the game. Senior goalkeeper Maddy Anderson saved the ball and kept the Gators trailing 1-0.
Anderson secured a personal victory in the shutout against the Gators as she registered her 20th clean sheet in her soccer career as a Bulldog, traveling back to Starkville with a big SEC win against Florida.
Next, Mississippi State will host rival Ole Miss as both teams compete for the Magnolia Cup at 6 p.m. on Sunday. The match will be broadcast on ESPNU. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to the game to celebrate ‘Soctober Fest’ before kickoff.