This weekend the Mississippi State women’s soccer team (2-3) travels to Mobile, Ala. for itssecond away weekend of the season. MSU will face Nicholls State (2-2) today at 4:30 and South Alabama (1-4) Sunday at 2:30. The tournament, originally scheduled to be played in Thibodaux, La., was moved to the South.
Alabama campus due to the threat of Hurricane Ike.
MSU coach Neil MacDonald has the Bulldogs set on leaving Mobile with two wins.
“They will be very similar games to what we had in our own home tournament,” he said. “South Alabama has had some good results. Nicholls State has been up and down. We are preparing ourselves to win two games.”
MSU will be looking to improve on its shooting from last weekend, when the Bulldogs could not find the net.
“Finishing is the main thing to improve on. We are creating good opportunities but not putting them away,” Macdonald said. In their first five games, the Bulldogs are on pace to have 356 shots this season, up from 216 in 2007.
Nicholls State started the season strong with 6-0 and 5-1 away wins against Southern and Texas Southern, respectively, two teams that finished the last two seasons ranked around 300 in the NCAA RPI. Tuesday undefeated Troy demolished Nicholls State 10-0. The Colonials have struggled this season after having two games canceled due to Hurricane Gustav. Hurricane warnings and damage have prevented Nicholls State from playing any home games in the 2008 campaign.
South Alabama’s lone win this season comes over Nicholls State. Their most recent match had them fall 0-3 to Sam Houston State.
MSU goalkeeper Taryn Holland said the team is poised to start racking up wins.
“In the next little bit, we are out there to win, and any team about to play us better have their heads in the game and better be ready because we are about go out there to win,” Holland said.
Holland is coming off her best weekend of the season, being named to the all-tournament team last weekend.
“Whenever the scoreboard is on I’m there to win. I put everything into it, and I felt I played my best,” Holland said.
Holland said the defense is a strength of this year’s team and expects the defense to play well this weekend.
Macdonald also praised the defense, placing special emphasis on the play of senior Meredith Jacobson.
“She is one of the best centerbacks in this Southeastern Conference,” Macdonald said. “She is growing into her senior role. The back line got tested last
weekend and I think they did well.”
Macdonald pointed to the transition from midfield to attack as key for the improvement of the MSU season and identified wingback Bethany Frazier as the critical player for the transition.
“She has shown signs of what she is capable of, and she needs to get in an attacking position from that left back role. She is really good at it and if she does that it will give us a bit more offense,” Macdonald said.
Jacobson said she is pleased with the direction the team is heading in.
“We did really well Sunday and will be looking to build on that,” Jacobson said.
Frazier, Jacobson and fellow center defender Hannah Tyler trail only Holland in minutes played this season.
The defense has worked on defending crosses following last Friday’s Georgetown loss where many of the Hoya’s 24 chances on goal developed from shots coming from the outside.
The Bulldogs are 2-2 all time versus South Alabama but the teams have not met since 2001. MSU has never played
Nicholls State.