The Mississippi State soccer team (4-8, 1-1 SEC) will begin its final roadswing of the 2002 campaign this weekend as the Bulldogs travel to eastern Alabama to meet Auburn (9-3, 1-1) in a battle between the 2001 SEC West Co-Champions. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. under the lights of the Auburn University Soccer Complex. The meeting will mark the eighth in an all-square series tied up at 3-3-1. MSU owns the best streak in the series, going unbeaten from 1996-97 (1996: T, 1-1; 1997: MSU, 1-0), but Auburn has posted the only multi-goal victories in the series, outscoring the Maroon and White 12-0 in meetings in 1995, 1998 and 2000. State has never won in Auburn.
“Practice has been very productive so far this week,” said Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire. “We have continued to progress in all areas and we are looking forward to this weekend. Auburn is an excellent team, and well deserving of their national ranking. We go in there knowing we have to play our very best. We are facing teams that play a stylish brand of soccer and it will be a fun game to be a part of.”
With both sharing the title of SEC West Champions after dazzling seasons in 2001, the two clubs have headed in slightly different directions since. Although catching hard luck in most of the contests, MSU posted a 3-7 mark in non-conference matchups this season, with Auburn turning in a 8-2 record during its non-conference slate, including a six-game winning streak that began the Tigers’ season.
Auburn is currently receiving votes in the latest Soccer Buzz top 25 poll and are ranked 7th and 6th, respectively, in the NSCAA and Soccer Buzz Southeast Region rankings. A club that is dangerous all around, Auburn will enter the matchup paced by sophomores Sarah Steinmann and Christina Culver, both of which have scored five goals for Auburn this season, with Steinmann getting the points lead on two more assists. The Tigers are dangerous in the nets as well with Megan Rivera handling the duties. Rivera, the 2001 SEC Freshman of the Year, has tallied 23 saves and allowed just eight goals in 10 appearances for a goals against average of 0.84.
Auburn will ride its success at home into the contest as well. The Tigers have posted eight-straight victories in the Auburn University Soccer Complex, including a 6-0 mark this season. Auburn has outscored its opponents 19-1 at home so far in this 2002 campaign.
“Whether on the road, or at home, the game remains the same,” McGuire said. “Our focus is such that, once we line up, it does not matter where we are, we are going to trust in ourselves and each other and play to execute our gameplan.”
Although halving its two games, State caught a bit of fire this weekend, scoring four goals in a pair of contests against SEC foes. On Friday, the Bulldogs posted its first victory over Arkansas since 1996 with a 3-0 shellacking at the Mississippi State Soccer Field, then put another goal on the scoreboard in a 3-1 loss to surging LSU on Sunday.
The Maroon and White will be led into the contest by sophomore Jessi Moore who scored two goals herself against Arkansas and paces the club with 16 points on five goals and six assists.