Mississippi State
3-8-0 (0-4-0SEC)
LSU
5-6-2 (1-2-1SEC)
Soccer Suffers Tough 2-0 Setback To LSU
October 04, 2014 | Soccer
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State put together a tough effort against an experienced LSU side, but it wasn't enough as the Bulldogs fell 2-0 on a cool Friday evening at the MSU Soccer Field.
After struggling to generate scoring chances on the road last weekend, the Bulldogs put together a solid outing Friday, tying the Tigers with 16 shots apiece.
Aaron Gordon's side turned in an outstanding second-half effort, out-firing LSU 8-5, including a 5-4 advantage in on-goal chances.
The difference, however, proved to be a Summer Clarke opening-half strike and a Natalia Gomez-Junco goal in the first two minutes of the second half.
The setback dropped MSU to 3-8 overall, 0-4 in SEC play. LSU picked up its first league victory, moving to 1-2-1 and 5-6-2 overall.
Gordon was pleased to see his team pressure the opposing keeper, something he will look to build on as the team heads into a home contest against No. 20 Georgia at 1 p.m. Sunday.
“As far as the game tonight, I thought it was even with chances for both sides. We gave up a chance in the box that bounced around and the girl finished nicely,” Gordon said. “The second half, to be fair, I think we had better chances. Unfortunately, Tanya got hurt, and the whistle never blew on the play where she was down. I'm not sure what happened but that's what put us down 2-0.
“We fought to the end and created chances at the end. We just were a little short tonight. We can't feel sorry for ourselves because we have to turn around and play a good Georgia team Sunday.”
MSU applied the offensive pressure early as Payton Gruenewald unsuccessfully tried to chip one over keeper Lily Alfeld in the opening seconds of the match. Mallory Eubanks and Shelby Jordan were also denied shots on target.
LSU took the 1-0 advantage to the intermission as Clarke knocked a Jorian Baucom centering pass into the top shelf in the 23rd minute.
Clarke almost broke the deadlock five minutes earlier, but freshman goalie Tanya de Souza made a stellar diving save on the breakaway opportunity
Moments later a handball in the box gave the Tigers a penalty kick. De Souza came up big once again, though, diving to her right to deny Baucom's penalty try.
De Souza stopped five shots before an early second-half injury abruptly ended her night. The Paris, France, native collided with the post trying to stop a cross attempt, and with the net unmanned, LSU's Gomez-Junco jumped on the loose ball and put it in for the final 2-0 advantage.
Rhylee DeCrane came off the bench and twice denied Gomez-Junco her second goal.
Five minutes later DeCrane setup the Bulldogs' first chance of the half off a free kick in the 62nd minute. The Myrtle Beach, S.C., native served the ball in front of goal and Shannen Jainudeen put up a header that beat Alfeld before sailing over the bar.
McKenzie Adams, Hannah Smith and Mary Kathryn Taylor also found the going tough against Alfeld, who made six saves in the match.
State thought it had Alfeld beat in the 78th minute, but Jainudeen was unfortunate as two shots inside the LSU area were turned back short of the goal line by a pair of Tiger defenders.
DeCrane came up with another big save, one of three in the half, in the 87th minute as she came off her line and denied a Clarke breakaway opportunity.
Jainudeen paced the Dawgs with five shots, two on goal.
Sunday's battle of the Bulldogs will be broadcast on SEC Network +. The contest will be Kids' Day at the MSU Soccer Field, with $2 hot dogs, free face decals and free MSU ice cream.
Halftime of Sunday's match will feature a special Fire Department vs. Police Department scrimmage and shootout challenge.
Team Stats
Clarke, Summer (7)
Assisted By: Baucom, Jorian
ball flipped into middle of box hit top
22:37
Gomez-Junco, Natalia (3)
Assisted By: Lee, Megan
ball bounced off bar keeper went down sh
47:36
