Mississippi State
5-9-3 (3-5-2)
Alabama
5-11-2 (2-8)
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi State | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Alabama | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Eubanks, Bulldogs Down Alabama 2-1
October 25, 2015 | Soccer
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. –Propelled by sophomore Mallory Eubanks' three-point performance, the Mississippi State women's soccer team (5-9-3, 3-5-2 SEC) overcame an aggressive Alabama (5-11-2, 2-8-0 SEC) club to claim a 2-1 victory.
“This was a gritty performance today by our team,” MSU head coach Aaron Gordon said. “We did not play great, but we just competed and overcame the odds. We had to go deep into our bench to spell some players, and everyone played a hand in this win. Those are the things you need to do to win Sunday games in the SEC.”
After 55 minutes of scoreless action, the match quickly picked up with two goals coming in a span of less than two minutes. MSU nailed the first score, after sophomore Mallory Eubanks beat Alabama's keeper for an open net score in the 55th minute.
“I think the goalie thought she could come out and get the ball in time, but I just wanted to push it past her,” Eubanks said. “As soon as I saw the ball out there I knew I had to get it.”
The score for Eubanks was the sophomore's third goal of the season.
In the 56th minute, sophomore Tanya de Souza would make a clutch stop on a Emma Welch penalty kick, but the deflected ball would find Hailey Brohaugh waiting as she put in the equalizer to knot the score at one a piece.
“That goal was a punch in the gut after coming so soon after our own goal,” Gordon said. “It took away our momentum, but I told our players to keep playing. I knew we would have another chance and thankfully we converted it.”
In the 78th minute freshman Kennadi Carbin would cap off an excellent attack to put the Bulldogs up for good, 2-1. Junior Ariana Holmes and Eubanks spearheaded the scoring attack, as Holmes passed it off to Eubanks, who found Carbin on the right wing.
“Culturally, we are turning into a program that can compete with anyone,” Gordon said. “The next step is to win when games are tight and I think this win is heading into that direction.”
The Bulldogs now have three conference wins on the season, which is the most since 2011. The win now places MSU with 11 points on the season, with only one game remaining. MSU is looking for its first appearance in the SEC Tournament since 2004.
The Maroon and White return to Starkville on Thursday for its final home match of the season, as the Bulldogs take on the Auburn Tigers at 7 p.m. CT.
For more information on the Mississippi State soccer program, follow “HailStateSOC” on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Team Stats
Mallory Eubanks (3)
Juked the goalkeeper and placed it in th
55:04
Brohaugh, Hailey (1)
Rebounded penalty kick
56:45
Kennadi Carbin (4)
Assisted By: Mallory Eubanks , Ariana Holmes
Through-ball slid it by the goalkeeper
78:04
