Mississippi State
1-0
Kennesaw State
0-1
MSU Soccer Defeats Kennesaw State, 2-1 At Samford Barber's Invitational
August 31, 2007 | Soccer
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ? Katelyn Graben's goal with four minutes remaining broke a 1-1 tie and gave Mississippi State a 2-1 victory over Kennesaw State in the opening game of the Samford Barber's Invitational.
Hadley Gable dribbled down the right side of the field and sent a shot from the right corner. KSU goalkeeper Katie Piotrowski made the initial save, but Graben knocked in the rebound for the winning goal.
MSU got the first scoring attempt less than three minutes into the game. Bethany Frazier sent a pass to Jessica Davis in front of the net, but Davis shot sailed high. Davis had another opportunity second later, but again sent the ball over the net.
The Owls had a prime opportunity to score in the 15th minute. Bridget Gaughan sent a corner kick towards the far post, where Caitlin Dingle was there to connect with it. But, her shot hit the post, and MSU sent the ball out of the zone.
KSU struck first in the 22nd minute. Dingle sent a pass to Annie Phillips, who got behind the defense and slipped a shot past goalkeeper Taryn Holland. However, she hit the post, only to get the rebound and send the ball into the open net.
The Bulldogs tied the game 13 minutes later. Off a corner, Caitlin Gallagher dropped a pass off to Frazier, who sent a cross towards the net from 25 feet out, where Treena Ferguson headed the ball into the net.
The second half started with a flurry. Less than a minute in, State was called for a foul in the box, giving Kennesaw State's Caroline Austin a penalty shot. Austin tried to go left, but Holland timed it, made the save and corralled the rebound, keeping the game knotted at one. The teams battled back and forth for the rest of the half until Graben's game-winner.
"I thought it was a very physical game," said MSU head coach Neil MacDonald. I thought that we matched them in every area. I was very pleased with the way we possessed the ball. I thought that we worked it around well, creating a lot of good chances, particularly in the second half. I thought it was a very evenly matched game, but over the course of it I thought we deserved to win it."
Mississippi State returns to action this Sunday at 11:30 a.m. (CT) when it closes out the tournament against Georgia Southern.
Team Stats
PHILLIPS, Annie (1)
Assisted By: DINGLE, Caitlin
Put back off a deflection from 5-yards o
21:41
Treena Ferguson (1)
Assisted By: Caitlin Gallagher , Bethany Frazier
Header past the goalkeeper following a c
34:12
Katelyn Graben
GOAL by MSU Katelyn Graben.
86:20
