Freshmen Lead Soccer Bulldogs To 3-1 Victory Over Alabama

Friday, October 5

Starkville

7:00 p.m.

Mississippi State

5-6-0, 1-2-0

Alabama

8-3-1, 1-1-1

Team	1	2	Final F
Alabama	0	1	1
Mississippi State	0	3	3

Three First-Half Goals Lift Bulldogs To 3-0 Win Over MVSU In 2008 Opener

Freshmen Lead Soccer Bulldogs To 3-1 Victory Over Alabama

October 05, 2007 | Soccer

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

? Official Statistics

STARKVILLE, Miss. ? Two goals in the final seven minutes gave the Mississippi State (5-6-0, 1-2-0 SEC) soccer squad a 3-1 victory over Alabama (8-3-1, 1-1-1 SEC) Friday evening at the MSU Soccer Field.

"I was very happy with the way we played," said MSU head coach Neil MacDonald. "I thought we put in 90 minutes of hard work. The first half in particular we did a great job of getting our left and right back into play. We dominated the possession tonight and we deserved to win."

With the game tied at one, Meredith Jacobson dribbled up the middle of the field before passing off to Lauren Host in the box. Host turned and sent a shot past Alabama goalkeeper Justine Bernier, giving MSU its second lead of the game. The goal was Host's first career, as well as Jacobson's first career point.

Six minutes later, Katelyn Graben dribbled down the right side of the field after beating her defender. She then passed in front of the net to Leanna Baldner, who was taken down. But, Baldner, lying on her back, continually swiped at the ball with her right foot, eventually getting it to cross over the goal line with 40 seconds remaining.

Both teams had chances in the first half. In the 13th minute, after MSU cleared the ball past its own goal line, Jamie Zimmerman took the ensuing corner kick and put it in front of the State net. Danielle Bernier got her head on it, but the ball hit the bottom of the crossbar and stayed out of the net.

Treena Ferguson had a chance to give the Bulldogs the lead in the 25th minute. UA attempted to clear the ball, but Ferguson blocked it. She then turned a fired a shot from 25 yards away towards the top right corner. But, Bernier got her hand on it, knocking it into the post.

With four minutes left in the first half, Brooke Rogers dribbled the ball down the left side of the field, and took a shot from ten feet out. However, MSU goalkeeper Taryn Holland made the save, and the teams went into halftime knotted at one.

Mississippi State broke the scoreless tie two minutes into the second half. After the teams battled at midfield for the ball, Ferguson came up with it, and fired a shot over Bernier's head into the top of the net, giving State the 1-0 lead. It was the senior's sixth goal of the season, and MSU's first goal in 340:06.

However, the Crimson Tide knotted the game at one in the 15th minute. After Holland made the save on Rosaly Petriello's point blank shot, the sophomore netminder overran the ball, and Kelly King knocked in her second goal of the year.

Mississippi State continues its home stand this Sunday. MSU will host Auburn at 1 p.m. (CT). The Bulldogs will then host No. 20 South Carolina on Friday, October 12, at 7 p.m. (CT), before facing Florida on Sunday, October 7, at 12 p.m. (CT).