As the Mississippi State University women’s soccer team play in their first NCAA tournament game in program history against Lipscomb University, Courtney Robicheaux, a senior defender from Mandeville, Louisiana, said they have one mantra on their mind.
“It’s just another game, that is all it is,” Robicheaux said. “We cannot make it anymore than that because then the pressure will get into our heads. We just need to go out there and play it like it is just another game. That is something being said in practice, ‘It’s just another game, it’s just another game, it’s just another game.'”
Mentally, it is just another game, and for MaKayla Waldner, a junior forward from Dexter, Missouri, the team is driven because this is their first tournament game.
“I think we are using this as a motivating factor since we have never been here,” Waldner said. “We are all kind of on a high right now, and we are just trying to translate that into practice. Just go out there and do everything right. We do not want to be brought down right now by all the hype, we are just trying to use that to motivate us to carry into the game.”
Even though they are on an emotional high with this being the first NCAA tournament appearance, Waldner said while this is new to them, they are going to take it game by game and hopefully maintain focus.
“We are on a high because this is just so new to us, we have never been in this position before,” Waldner said. “We are not going to take this game lightly, we are just going to try maintain that. Everyone is in good spirits right now.”
As for their opponent Lipscomb, the team has not seen much of them, however Waldner recognized Lipscomb has a strong attack, and it will be a good test for the backline of MSU who has only conceded 16 goals all season.
“We have not seen much of them (Lipscomb), we have watched a few clips, they have a pretty dangerous attack,” Waldner said. “But our back line is awesome. Our back line is probably one of the best ones that I have seen play. I have complete faith in us, I think we are going to be okay.”
Tom Anagnost, the head coach for MSU, said it will be very important for his team to defend against a team like Lipscomb, who can be very clinical in how they attack and finish scoring opportunities.
“We cannot give them any opportunities because they put things on target,” Anagnost said. “It is going to be a tough challenge for us. Everybody is good, it is the NCAA tournament, so everybody is good.”
Waldner said now that it is the postseason, getting shots on frame and following up those shots will be important, and there is some pressure to finish the chances they do have because it is the postseason.
“Our coaches always say that, ‘In season, you can get multiple shots, and it is okay if some of your shots do not go on frame,'” Waldner said. “‘When you make it to the tournament you may only get one or two shots, and those are the ones that matter.’ Our big thing is everything on frame, everything on target. So that is what we are focusing on.”
However the past few days of practice, Anagnost said the team has been off in practice. He said he was disappointed in them because he expected more. There was improvement on Thursday as he said they were much better.
“My teams are usually, every day, are killing it,” Anagnost said. “They have been off you know, but today was better. Today was back, so at the end of the day they just have to do it tomorrow, that is all that really matters.”
Anagnost believes since it is the post season, it is a new season for the team and everything they have done in the season so far, which he said was great, means nothing now because this is the postseason.
“Now all eyes are on the present,” Anagnost said. “The only things that matters is Friday at 4:00 how do we do. I expect us to be firing on all cylinders in that game.”
Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Nov. 9, in Starkville. Tickets are required, but if you are a student, admission is free with a student I.D.