Mississippi State University (8-5-4, 2-5-3 SEC) lost a 2-1 heartbreaker in their regular season finale on Thursday night.
Even with a boisterous crowd, the Bulldogs could not secure the needed win to make the SEC tournament for the first time in 13 years. In reality, they only needed to draw, but they were playing Texas A&M University (14-2-1, 9-1-0 SEC) who hold second in the SEC standings.
At times, it looked as if State could pull off an upset, such as when junior defender Courtney Robicheaux, assisted by Mallory Eubanks, scored the first goal of the game in the first five minutes.
However, 15 minutes later, the Aggies made it even, and the Bulldogs never recovered the lead. A&M put themselves in front in 65^th minute after scoring on a penalty kick caused by a handball in the box. Though the team and coaches were emotional after the game, this season was one for them to be proud of.
The eight-win finish marks the program’s first winning season since 2009, and the most victories by a MSU squad since 2012; but draws were the difference this season, with the most ties since 2005. The NCAA tournament is still a possibility, so the season may not be over yet. Even so, the immediate growth from last year’s regular season 6-12 overall and 1-10 SEC record is impressive, especially with a coach in his first year.
Head Coach Tom Anagnost attributes the growth by the team to the seniors on the squad. “Our 10 seniors are the reason for the change,” Anagnost. “They created such an incredible environment and culture for our team and our program. They are the reason for the turnaround.”
The seniors will certainly be missed on this team, but the future is in good hands with the younger players who showed immense potential this season. Both leading scorers, Brooke McKee and MaKayla Waldner, are returning next year, and of the five players with the most points on the team, only one is a senior.
Nevertheless, this team proved to be a special one–a team which set the tone early in the season with six straight wins, and kept everyone on the edge of their seats when they were on the field.