The Mississippi State soccer team competed in a double overtime thriller against Vanderbilt Sunday afternoon.
After an hour and 45-minute lightning delay, the game kicked off with great energy from the team. Early on in the 3rd minute, Courtney Robicheux got the Bulldogs on the board with a free kick. It was Robicheaux’s first goal as a Bulldog.
“It was the best feeling ever,” Robicheaux said. “My first goal felt so good.”
She gives credit to her teammates encouraging her to put the game in their favor.
“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates cheering me on,” Robicheaux said. “They kept saying, ‘Robi, you got this.’ Right before I kicked it. It’s them that help me do well.”
Head Coach Aaron Gordon congratulated Robicheaux’s contribution to start the game.
“She’s been practicing her free kicks, so I’m glad to see she got the opportunity and range,” Coach Gordon said. “She absolutely hit a bomb.”
Vanderbilt had trouble establishing a rhythm to get the ball up field to score during the first half. They finally answered back when Lydia Simmons scored in the 42nd minute. She soon earned a yellow card following the tying goal.
The Bulldogs gripped the first half with a sturdy defense, with key executions from Kennadi Carbin and Khalyn Harmon.
The second half marked a milestone for junior Hannah Smith. She competed for the first time since her injury against Auburn in October 2015. Smith returned with an aggressive defensive display against the Commodores. At the end of the second half, the game was at a standstill as Vanderbilt’s Nia Dorsey, Grace Jackson and Kacy Scarpa stepped up on defense, but the Bulldogs did not let up. Goalkeeper Tonya De Souza totaled an outstanding six saves in the second half.
Rainfall began in the middle of the second half, halting ball movement and frustrating players on the field. Two yellow cards were rewarded to Carly Mauldin in the 81st minute with Khalyn Harmon quickly following suit with a card in the 82nd minute.
Mississippi State started the first overtime with an abrasive approach with the fans behind them keeping hope alive. On the field, the Bulldogs opened many opportunities to end the game in the first overtime but could not close the deal.
Vanderbilt capitalized on a Mississippi State mishap in their time of transitioning their wide defense, causing them to drop the game in overtime. In the 104th minute. Commodore Danae O’Holloran assisted Hannah Eberts to score, making it 2-1 to lift Vanderbilt over Mississippi State in a hard fought conference match.
“The energy was great during the game, but it didn’t translate on the field,” Gordon said. “We just weren’t there today.” We created some really good chances, and we squandered them. We have to be more clinical in front of the goal.”
In the loss, the Bulldogs took 18 shots, one short of Vanderbilt’s 19. Mallory Eubanks and MaKayla Waldner tied with five for most shots taken against the Commodores.
Mississippi State will be on the road against bitter rival Ole Miss in Oxford on Sept. 22. They return to Starkville for a match against the Alabama Crimson Tide for their fifth conference match.
