A cloudy Sunday afternoon set the stage for the Mississippi State University soccer team’s competitive 2-1 win over Louisiana Tech University.

MSU came into the match looking to continue its undefeated season. On the other side, LA Tech was seeking a bounce-back win following a tough 5-0 defeat on Thursday night against the University of Mississippi. 

LA Tech struck first in the 22nd minute as freshman Flavie Dubé punched in a goal, giving Tech the early 1-0 lead. MSU had several opportunities to score in the first half, but the LA Tech defense shut them out with three saves to close out the first half.  

In the second half, MSU’s offense began to find success against a tough LA Tech defense. In the 61st minute, sophomore Hannah Johnson, assisted by freshman Alivia Buxton, tied the match for MSU. 

Mississippi State’s defense prevailed and shut down Tech in the second half. The game-winning goal came in the 81st minute of the match, when sophomore Haley McWhirter got the score, giving MSU a 2-1 lead. 

Sophomore midfielder Johnson spoke on how the coaches prepared the team to come out for the second half and overcome the deficit.

“Honestly, in the locker room, they were just like, ‘Listen, you know, you guys got to step it up. You guys are doing good. We just need something else out of you. Just step it up and keep rolling,’ and that’s what we did,” Johnson said.

Undefeated in four straight home matches, the Bulldogs will be on the road for their next game. Head coach James Armstrong discussed the challenges going on the road after the win against LA Tech.

“It’s going to be a challenge, for sure, after enjoying being on our home field and being in our own beds for, you know, the last two weeks. But, thankfully, it’s just down the road, and we’re going to be professional about it. We’re going to go down there and take care of business,” Armstrong said.

The win on Sunday gave the Bulldogs a record of 4-0-2 this season. MSU soccer travels to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to take on the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles Sept. 8 at 4 p.m.