Sullivan's Big Afternoon Lifts Bulldogs to 3-0 Win Against USM

Sunday, August 29

Starkville (Starkville Sportsplex)

1:00 PM

Mississippi State

2-1-0

Southern Miss

1-1-0

Southern Miss

MSU

Sullivan's Big Afternoon Lifts Bulldogs to 3-0 Win Against USM

August 29, 2010 | Soccer

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State freshman Elisabeth Sullivan scored her first goal and added an assist Sunday afternoon as the Bulldog soccer team rolled to a 3-0 win on a rainy Sunday afternoon at the Starkville Sportsplex.

Sophomores Jasmine Simmons and Madison McKee scored their first and second goals of the season, respectively, as Mississippi State improved to 2-1 on the year.

Head coach Neil Macdonald's squad used a dominating first half to take a 2-0 lead into halftime. State out-shot the Golden Eagles 12-3 in the first 45 minutes, placing seven of those shots between the posts.

“I thought we came out and played very well today, especially in the first half,” Macdonald said. “The girls moved the ball around well and created good chances on goal. We really did a good job in front of the goal when we had those chances.”

After missing on four attempts in the first eight minutes of the contest, MSU took the lead for good in the 17th minute. Sullivan beat a USM defender down the right sideline and crossed the ball through the box to sophomore Jasmine Simmons, who beat Hannah Vanderboegh from point-blank range.

Eleven minutes later, Sullivan caught Vanderboegh out of position, but a USM defender managed to deflect the ball away just shy of the empty net.

No Golden Eagle was able to deny Sullivan three minutes later. The Memphis, Tenn., native found herself in a breakaway opportunity, and she slipped the ball past a diving Vanderboegh to give Mississippi State the two-goal advantage.

“Elisabeth has been great. She works hard in practice and listens to the information we give her,” Macdonald said. “I thought she played extremely well today.”

“We all played really well together this afternoon. We knew we had to come out and take care of business after Friday night, and that's what we did,” Sullivan said.

Southern Miss (1-1) came out more aggressively on offense in the second half, but the Bulldog defense rose to the challenge and maintained the blank sheet.

Sophomore Skylar Rosson collected three of her five saves in the second half as she collected her first career solo shutout.

Despite only taking four shots in the second half, the Bulldogs put one in the net and three total on target.

Vanderboegh, who stopped six shots on the afternoon, prevented Simmons from collecting her second goal of the afternoon in the 52nd minute, but the Dawgs put a final point on the scoreboard in the 71st minute.

After earning a free kick just inside the midfield line, senior defender Leanna Baldner delivered a perfectly-placed ball into the box to sophomore Rachel Wannek. Wannek's header deflected right to McKee, who headed the ball into the net for her second goal in three matches.

Just before the final whistle, an MSU foul gave the Golden Eagles a free kick right in front of the Bulldog goal. Rosson preserved the shutout, however, as she made a diving deflection of Chelsea Cruthirds' one-on-one opportunity.

Mississippi State heads to Troy, Ala., next weekend to meet the Trojans and South Alabama in the Trojan Classic. The Bulldogs return home on Sept. 7, hosting Mississippi Valley State at 7 p.m.

Southern Miss (1-1-0) vs. MSU (2-1-0)
Date: Aug 29, 2010 Attendance: 244
Weather: Steady showers, 77 degrees

Goals by period 1 2 Tot
-------------------------------
Southern Miss....... 0 0 - 0
MSU................. 2 1 - 3

SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 16:18 MSU Jasmine Simmons (1) (Elisabeth Sullivan) - off cross into the box point blank range
2. 31:48 MSU Elisabeth Sullivan (1) (unassisted) - off free kick
3. 70:40 MSU Madison McKee (2) (Leanna Baldner;Rachel Wannek) - off free kick

Shots: Southern Miss 14, MSU 16
Saves: Southern Miss 7 (Hannah Vanderboegh 6; Team 1), MSU 5 (Skylar
Rosson 5)