After a grueling non-conference schedule against Big 12 foes Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa State, the MSU soccer team is prepared for the 2003 Southeastern Conference season.
SEC play opens tonight when the Bulldogs visit the (6-3) Tennessee Volunteers.
Junior forward Ngum Suh believes that playing tough teams has primed the team for the Vols and the rest of the SEC.
“I think the schedule has prepared us well–not so much on the teams we will play against, but how we play against them,” said Suh. “We’ve been working really hard and we’re ready mentally and definitely physically.”
MSU will need to continue its offensive eruption from a week ago in order to take down the reigning SEC Tournament champions. The Bulldogs, however, have not scored a goal on the road since the first game of the season.
“We need to get that out of our minds,” said forward Betty Ann Casey. “It’s just a matter of realizing we’re at a different place, but at the same time things shouldn’t change.”
After Tennessee, State will then make the short trip to Athens to face the Georgia Bulldogs.
Georgia enters the weekend with a 7-3 record. Georgia has won its last three games, including an 8-0 pounding of Liberty University.
The MSU defense must be ready to face a Georgia team with firepower. The Bulldogs must contain Georgia forward Jessica Winton. Winton leads the SEC with 10 goals and was this week’s College Sports Television Network’s student-athlete of the week.
“I think team chemistry will be the most important factor this weekend,” said Betty Ann Casey. “Everyone needs to be in the game mentally because we all need to be on the same page.”
Although this first weekend of SEC games looks to be very challenging for the Bulldog players, head coach Neil McGuire believes the team is more than prepared.
“Every team in the SEC is a fantastic team and every game is going to be very difficult,” said McGuire. “I think we’re as prepared as we can be. We’ve played a very difficult non-conference schedule to prepare us for the SEC and because of that I think we have ideal preparation.”