Mississippi State’s women’s soccer team dropped to 2-2 on the season after two late comebacks against Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State University ended in heartbreakers.A late surge by MSU was not enough to overcome a two-goal deficit against Western Kentucky on Friday, as the Lady Bulldogs dropped their first match of the MTSU Tournament 2-1.
State’s Bethany Frazier scored with a 35-yard effort and hit the bar from even further out, but it was not enough to see the Bulldogs overturn a 2-0 deficit.
State began the game with an attack that saw the forward pairing of Treena Ferguson and Jessica Davis register three shots in the opening three minutes.
Despite the early pressure on the Hilltoppers’ goal, it was at the other end that the first goal was conceded on WKU’s first opportunity.
Just over five minutes into the match, WKU’s Kristin Cocchiarella connected with a header from Alicia Dalby’s corner kick, sending the ball past State goalkeeper Taryn Holland into the right corner for a 1-0 lead.
Katelyn Grable, Davis, and Frazier all forced saves out of WKU’s goalkeeper Meredith Goodson during the rest of the first half as the teams traded shots without either finding net.
The start of the second half followed a similar pattern, as State was soon 2-0 down after again conceding early on.
This time it was Mallory Outerbridge who connected with Megan Meinke’s pass to tap into Holland’s net from five yards.
State almost hit back immediately, with Frazier trying her luck from 40 yards and seeing her shot crash off the bar.
That proved to be a warning shot, as Frazier followed up five minutes later with a shot from similar distance that Goodsen let slip into the corner of the net.
The Bulldogs’ best opportunity to equalize came in the 67th minute, as Goodsen was caught out by a Frazier free kick. The ball fell to Ferguson, who aimed a shot at the goal but was denied by Goodsen’s recovering save.
Continued pressure followed a string of substitutions for State, but their efforts proved to no avail as WKU held on for the 2-1 win.
Sunday’s game began much the same way for State, as MTSU’s Jen Threlkeld tapped home just two minutes in following Kala Morgan’s cross.
Two goals from Ferguson brought the Bulldogs into the lead, but a second half blitz from the Blue Raiders proved too much for State, despite a late comeback attempt.
State pressured hard to find an immediate equalizer, with Ferguson and Graben forcing shots from MTSU keeper Erynn Murray.
The breakthrough finally came on 22 minutes, with Ferguson putting in after being put through by Graben.
It was all MSU from there as the Bulldogs peppered the Blue Raiders’ net, eventually taking the lead 15 minutes later with another goal from Ferguson.
Graben was the provider again, as Ferguson’s shot from 25 yards found its way past Murray for a 2-1 lead.
The second half began the same as the first, with MTSU’s Holly Grogan scoring off a free kick one minute in. Threlkeld struck again ten minutes later to reclaim the lead for the Blue Raiders, heading in from Katherine Andresen’s cross.
Davis had a header saved and Graben and Ferguson both had shots, but State could not conjure another equalizer before Threlkeld completed her hat trick with another header in the 82nd to put the score seemingly out of reach.
A determined effort by the Bulldogs brought the score level at 4-4 in the dying minutes, with Graben and Davis heading in from a couple of Frazier free kicks, but there was still more to come.
In the last minute of the game, Threlkeld notched her fourth to end any hope of a dramatic comeback from the Bulldogs, sealing the topsy-turvy match at 5-4.
The Bulldogs return to Starkville for their home opener on Friday night against Central Florida, with the match set to kick off at 7 p.m.