Mississippi State soccer loses first match of season against South Carolina – The Dispatch

STARKVILLE — Not even two minutes into Thursday night time’s match, catastrophe struck for Mississippi State. 

Beginning goalkeeper Maddy Anderson, having simply set a brand new program file for many shutouts in a single season, went down after a collision in entrance of aim following a South Carolina cross.

Whereas it seemed like Anderson had the area, angle and time to chop off a by way of ball from the Gamecocks simply in entrance of the top-right nook of the 18-yard field, she let it go, opting to defend a possible cross.

The junior was unable to place little if any stress on her left leg as she was helped off the pitch, leaving the Bulldogs a bit out of kinds, attempting to regroup as sophomore backup keeper Mac Titus got here in. 

Unlucky timing hit MSU as South Carolina scored just some minutes later, the lone aim in a 1-0 win for the Gamecocks, handing the Bulldogs their first lack of the season.

“We clearly had a disappointing prevalence firstly of the sport, however I assumed the women responded very well from that,” head coach James Armstrong stated. “Credit score to South Carolina, they defended very well.”

Titus seemed strong in aim for Mississippi State (9-1-3) and didn’t have to do a lot because the backline for the Bulldogs stepped up after conceding early, permitting only one shot the remainder of the way in which.

Talking of the aim, there was actually nothing Titus or Mississippi State may do as South Carolina midfielder Claire Griffiths linked on one from outdoors the field, discovering the highest nook in a shot that no goalkeeper within the nation may have saved.

Regardless of that, she was prepared to return in and responded nicely to the problem of dealing with such a troublesome aspect within the Gamecocks.

“When Maddy goes down, I do know my function because the starting of the season is to arrange for that worst-case situation,” Titus stated. “I simply knew as quickly as that occurred I needed to step up and do my factor.”

“We had a lapse in focus there for just a little bit after Maddy went down. We went into the locker room at half and got here again out, settled down and we have been able to go.”

The story early on was the lack of Mississippi State to get pictures on aim and probabilities within the field. 

All three of its pictures within the first half got here from outdoors the field and weren’t near aim as South Carolina’s backline stood tall and prevented the Bulldogs from penetrating it and entering into the field.

Armstrong’s halftime speech should have labored, as a result of within the second half, Mississippi State was far more energetic on the ball, was capable of management possession for longer durations of time and at last broke by way of with probabilities within the ultimate 20 minutes or so of the match.

The Bulldogs acquired 4 pictures off and began placing in cross after cross, even inducing three nook kicks late. Aided by a brand new program-record attendance of 1,613 followers on Thursday, momentum slowly shifted of their favor, however it shifted too late.

“They have been actually robust within the again and quick, so we adjusted to that as the sport went on,” midfielder Alivia Buxton stated. “We acquired our probabilities and as we went on, we acquired higher and higher. I believe we simply have to deal with our ending touches and getting the ball at the back of the online.”

After discovering that success in scoring targets to start the Southeastern Convention schedule, the Bulldogs have been held scoreless by way of their final two matches.

Together with the ultimate couple of minutes of MSU’s 3-2 win over LSU, that scoreless streak at the moment sits at 186 minutes and 44 seconds.

The highway doesn’t get simpler for State shifting ahead, occurring the highway for its subsequent two matches, starting with a well-known foe in Auburn, Armstrong’s former workforce, on Sunday afternoon.

MSU had scored simply 4 targets in its final 9 matches towards the Tigers, going 1-6-2 in that span. 

It received’t be straightforward getting one at the back of the online towards Auburn, however with the Bulldogs now dealing with current adversity, they’ll be far more ready for Sunday afternoon.

“I’m positive their confidence received’t take an excessive amount of of a success after tonight,” Armstrong stated. “It is a good second for us: the primary lack of the season. It’s how we reply and the way shortly we rebound and now we have full religion that this group will do that.”