Mississippi State
4-8-3, 2-4-2SEC
#13 Florida
11-3-1, 5-2-1SEC
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Mississippi State | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Bulldogs Fall Short In Front of Record Crowd
October 17, 2015 | Soccer
STARKVILLE, Miss. – A solid second-half effort wasn't enough Friday night as Mississippi State (4-8-3, 2-4-2 SEC) fell to No. 13 Florida (11-3-1, 5-2-1 SEC) 2-1, in front of a record 1,327 fans.
“The crowd tonight was fantastic,” MSU head coach Aaron Gordon said. “We didn't cap the night off the way we would have liked to but Florida is an elite team. I am happy about our team had the mentality to not survive, but looking to win. I think this game still provided us with a lot of confidence even though we didn't get the result we were looking for.”
In the seventh minute of the match the Gators jumped ahead, after Christen Westphal found Brooke Sharp for the opening score. UF would strike again minutes later as Megan Howard Dougherty scored off a Savannah Jordan assist.
UF took a 2-0 lead into intermission, with the Bulldogs only getting two shots in the period.
“I wasn't unhappy with our team at halftime,” Gordon said. “I thought they had good moments but they just needed to stay the course. We came out with a lot of energy in the second half and I think it showed on the field. We were just a little unlucky to not get the result we wanted from the game.”
The Bulldogs edged out the Gators in shots on goal 3-2 in the second half, as the Maroon and White held UF scoreless for the remaining 45 minutes.
Freshman Kennadi Carbin scored with three seconds remaining to notch the Bulldogs' lone goal in the match, as she collected the third goal of her career. Freshman Carly Mauldin assisted off the header after a long throw in from junior Ariana Holmes.
“There were a lot of good things that we can take from tonight's match,” Gordon said. “We have to keep our focus on the task at hand and get ready for a big showdown in Baton Rouge.”
The Maroon and White will start a two-game road trip in Baton Rouge next Friday night, as the Bulldogs take on LSU at 7 p.m.
For more information on the Mississippi State soccer program, follow “HailStateSOC” on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Team Stats
Sharp,Brooke (9)
Assisted By: Westphal,Christen
GOAL by FLORIDA Sharp,Brooke (FIRST GOAL), Assist by Westphal,Christen, goal number 9 for season.
7:33
Dougherty Howard,Meg (2)
Assisted By: Jordan,Savannah
GOAL by FLORIDA Dougherty Howard,Meg, Assist by Jordan,Savannah, goal number 2 for season.
25:24
Kennadi Carbin (3)
Assisted By: Ariana Holmes , Courtney Robicheaux
GOAL by MSU Kennadi Carbin, Assist by Ariana Holmes and Courtney Robicheaux, goal number 3 for season.
89:57
