Mississippi State
5-10-3, 3-6-2
#19 Auburn
14-4-0, 7-4-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Mississippi State | 0 | 0 | 0 |
No. 19 Auburn Downs MSU 3-0 On Senior Night
October 30, 2015 | Soccer
STARKVILLE, Miss. – In front of a Thursday night crowd of 845, Mississippi State (5-10-3, 3-6-2 SEC) fell to No. 19 Auburn (14-4-0, 7-4-0 SEC) 3-0 to cap the 2015 season.
The win for Auburn places the Tigers in the top half of the conference standings, while the Bulldogs narrowly missed the SEC Tournament by only a point.
“This was not the result we wanted, but credit our team for fighting to the end and giving heart,” MSU head coach Aaron Gordon said. “We got on our heels early in this game and Auburn came to play. Once you get yourself in a three-goal hole, it's hard to come back from.”
In the 12th minute of the match Auburn would go on top 1-0, after Casie Ramsier netted her 11th goal of the season. The Tigers would carry the 1-0 margin until the 36th minute, when Ramsier would strike again for her second goal. Logan Beal scored Auburn's final goal of the match only a minute later, to seal the win for the Tigers at 3-0.
“I challenged the team at halftime and told them that this was not the team who you are and who've become in the league and you need to step up,” Gordon said. “I have to give our team a lot of credit because they did step up in the second half and we were the aggressor.”
The Bulldogs held the Tigers to only three shots in the second half, holding Auburn scoreless the rest of the game.
Between the posts, sophomore Tanya de Souza saved three shots in the match while going the full 90 minutes.
For the Tigers, Sarah le Beau would receive the start in goal and save three shots in 68 minutes of play. Alyse Scott would relieve Beau for the final 22 minutes, saving four shots.
The Tigers edged out MSU in shots (19-13) and corners (5-3), while MSU turned in more shots on goal (7-6)
Thursday's match would mark the final outing for senior Shelby Jordan, with the Jackson, Tenn., native receiving the starting nod and playing 42 minutes.
“For a senior, you can look at a stat sheet or a record book and remembered a player for their stats,” Gordon said. “What is more important for a player is their impact to the team and each individual, which is so much more important than stats. The greatest impact a player can give to a soccer program is how they look out for their teammates and that is what Shelby has meant to our team.”
Wrapping up the 2015 season, the Bulldogs turned in the most wins in a season since 2012, while the three conference wins were the most since 2011. The 105 corner kicks in the season ranks as the most in a season since 2001 (108).
“The program is going in a great direction,” Gordon said. “We have more fight, we have more attitude than we've ever had in this team. All those things are qualities you need to do well. This team turned out to be everything I thought it would be. Going forward they've played 20 games and that's big for a young team to have under their belt for experience.”
For more information on the Mississippi State soccer program, follow “HailStateSOC” on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Team Stats
Casie Ramsier (11)
Assisted By: Samantha Solaru
Header by 24
12:20
Casie Ramsier (12)
Assisted By: Brooke Ramsier
GOAL by AU Casie Ramsier, Assist by Brooke Ramsier, goal number 12 for season.
36:47
Logan Beal (2)
Assisted By: Hannah Alspach , Alex Massey
GOAL by AU Logan Beal, Assist by Hannah Alspach and Alex Massey, goal number 2 for season.
37:32
