The Mississippi State University soccer team took down Northwestern State University in their home opener.
Both teams took to the field eager to play. The Bulldogs came out strong and took the lead straight away, as sophomore forward Maggie Wadsworth scored her first goal of the season less than five minutes into the game.
With 40 minutes left in the first half, forward Kennedy White, a graduate student from Bowling Green University, was able to trip up the defense and earn the team its second goal of the night and her first goal of the season.
When asked how she felt about scoring her goal, White said she was very excited and ready to play more games.
“It was super exciting. I felt like we’ve worked really hard in preseason and everyone’s done so well in training, and it was nice to see like everything come together at our first home game after traveling for a week,” White said. “It was really nice to get that goal in maroon and white so I’m super excited”
Many fans showed up to help cheer on the Bulldogs in their first home game of the season. Head Coach Armstrong expressed her appreciation of family and fans coming out to show their support.
“It’s something we talk about all the time. The crowd makes a massive difference, and the unique thing about here in Starkville, at this soccer field, is that you’ve got the community, you’ve got parents, we’ve got rowdy fans, we’ve got the student body down there. So, for those guys to come out tonight, hopefully they enjoyed it because we’d love for them and more of their friends to come out next time,” Armstrong said.
Mississippi State was ahead 2-0 starting out the second half. Junior midfielder Haley McWhirter was able to assist junior forward Aitana Martinez-Montoya in the third and final goal of the night, about four minutes into the second half. Although the Lady Demons put up a fight, they could not keep up with the Bulldogs. The final score was 3-0 with Mississippi State earning the victory, proving their readiness for the season.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs will play Florida International University this Sunday at 6:30 p.m., hoping to add another win to their record.