It was 2004 the last time the Mississippi State soccer team advanced to the SEC Tournament. The only other tournament appearance State made was in 2001. Tonight the soccer team has the opportunity to add 2011 to the list. The only teams standing in the way are Alabama, which will take the final spot with a win tonight over Auburn, and Ole Miss, which looks to spoil MSU’s tournament hopes tonight.
The Bulldogs’victory over the Rebels last year was State’s lone SEC win and also crushed the Rebels hopes of making the Tournament. This year, the roles are reversed and the location is changed, but the Bulldog players and head coach Neil Macdonald said they are hoping for a large group of Bulldog fans in Oxford to help them get the victory.
“Having a big crowd there of Mississippi State fans would be like having a 12th man,”Macdonald said. “We would encourage everybody to come up and support us.”
A big part of the team’s turnaround this season has been the play of sophomores Morganne Grimes and Elisabeth Sullivan, leading the defense and offense, respectively. With a year under their belts, the two have gained respect throughout the team.
Leading the back line of defense as a captain this season, Grimes has helped the Bulldogs to five shutout games and has even scored a goal of her own. Although her personality presents her as a quiet presence, she has been the vocal leader on the field all season. While Grimes is only in her second year, fellow captain Madison McKee said she does not think of Grimes as a sophomore at all.
“Morganne has unbelievable leadership skills; she talks so much and keeps everyone mentality into the game and controls the back line,”McKee said. “Morganne is doing an unbelievable job this year.”
Up front, Sullivan, who led the team in scoring last year as a freshman, is tied for the team lead this season with five goals, four of which have come in SEC play, and leads the team with three assists. Sullivan was recently ranked by topdrawersoccer.com as the 8th- best player in the SEC West and 19th overall in the SEC. Her score Sunday against Vanderbilt moved her into a tie for tenth on MSU’s career goals list.
However, Sullivan is not one to boast about records and statistics; rather, she simply leads by example, said Macdonald.
“Sullivan’s real quiet; she just plays and leads by example,”Macdonald said. “She’s had a great breakout year, and she still has more to offer; overall, she’s been great.”
Sullivan recognized the leadership role she and Grimes have taken on the field but said this year’s team chemistry is awesome and the team is the closest team on which she has ever played.
“I feel like Morganne and I have gained respect because we came in and started working hard from the beginning,”Sullivan said. “But we are all so close, and we all value each others opinions on and off the field.”
This team chemistry has proven strong when tested so far this season, but the team will be faced with a challenge heading into the hostile environment of Oxford. Macdonald said his team may tweak a couple things but will mostly keep the same basic formation.
“We will look to press them pretty high up the park, and when we turn it over just try to be direct,”Macdonald said. “We just talk that you can’t worry about things you can’t control, so our focus will be on controlling the controllables, such as how we train and making sure we’re working hard and understanding our rolls.”
To advance to the SEC Tournament, State needs a loss from Alabama, who will host 29th-ranked Auburn. A Bulldog win and a tie between the Crimson Tide and Tigers would force goal differential to decide the final team in the Tournament.
The Rebels and Bulldogs will be battling for the Magnolia Cup tonight at 7 p.m. on Fox Sports South, but MSU will be fighting for an even bigger opportunity and may find postseason play in its hands by the end of the night.