On Friday, the Mississippi State University women’s soccer team faced the huge challenge of taking on the No. 1 team in the SEC — the Arkansas Razorbacks. The match was set to begin in Starkville at 6 p.m., and a record-breaking crowd of 2,617 fans showed up to support the No. 7 Bulldogs.
The fan attendance for the 1-0 victory over Arkansas was exciting to the team and especially to head coach James Armstrong.
“[The fans] really showed up and showed out tonight,” Armstrong said. “They were boisterous, they were energetic. They had choices, they could have gone to the Bulldog Bash. A lot of people put a lot of hard work into making this possible. But for [the fans] to choose us tonight, I could almost get emotional. It was incredible.”
Arkansas came to Starkville with an impressive conference reputation as the SEC title-holders in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023. However, the record did not intimidate the ambitious Bulldogs.
The match created an atmosphere of exciting competition when the teams played back and forth the whole match. MSU found its advantage when Ally Perry scored a first-half goal. For this powerhouse, the goal was her seventh of the season and fourth game-winning shot. This momentum propelled the Bulldogs to go 1-0 against Arkansas.
The ball found the back of the net when Perry hit this impressive corner shot, with an eruption of cheers from the crowd at this game-winning Olimpico goal — a goal scored from only the corner.
Graduate goalkeeper Maddy Anderson discussed what she thought the key to the team was in keeping the energy strong and the fireball of momentum going.
“Our midfield is key to our team,” Anderson said. “They help get the ball down and screen players, so they don’t get to our backline. They honestly are workhorses. They run like nine miles a game. I don’t know how they do it, that’s crazy to me.”
This massive win was the first domination over a No. 1 team for the Lady Bulldogs. This win was MSU’s 10th shutout and fourth conference shutout of the season. Their next challenge will be Oct. 10 as they take on Georgia in hopes of retrieving another conference win.
“It’s a blessing to have a crowd like that,” Anderson said. “To have this small town of Starkville supporting us so much and making the effort to come out on their Friday night to support us through the entire game… we couldn’t ask for anything else. We’re so, so thankful that they did that and we’re thankful that everyone’s bringing their cowbells. We really appreciate it.”
The fans’ support benefitted not only the team but also Breast Cancer Education and Awareness through the wearing of pink. The pink on fans and players created a strong, feminine atmosphere that imposed strength and energy to carry the team to victory while supporting an important cause.
“Tonight, we will celebrate, but tomorrow we have to turn the page,” Armstrong said. “We play Georgia on Thursday, but this is good momentum. We talked about it being a test in terms of the style of play that we want to play and they came through with flying colors tonight. We’ll build on this momentum, but we won’t let ourselves get too far ahead.”
Mississippi State will gear up to face the University of Georgia on Thursday at the Turner Soccer Complex in Athens, Georgia.
