Friday, October 14
Starkville
7:00 PM
Mississippi State
vs
LSU
Bulldogs look to finish strong with only four games remaining in 2016.
MSU Defends Home Turf Against LSU Friday Night
October 13, 2016 | Soccer
STARKVILLE, Miss. – With the season nearing the finish line, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-8-0, 1-6-0 SEC) host the LSU Tigers (6-9-0, 1-6-0 SEC) on Friday at 7 p.m. CT as the two squads battle for their second result in conference play.
"We're excited to be back home and look forward to the opportunity we have this Friday against LSU," head coach Aaron Gordon said. "We've had a good week of training and all of our focus has been devoted to LSU. This game is crucial for qualifying for the SEC Tournament and both teams know that, so it should be a good battle."
The top 10 teams in the league qualify for the conference tournament in Orange Beach, Ala., which is set to begin on Oct. 31. The Bulldogs and Tigers are currently tied for 11th in the SEC, four points back of the cutoff line. MSU has not reached the SEC Tournament since 2004.
Last Time Out
The Bulldogs dropped a road contest to then No. 18 Auburn last Sunday as MSU fell in back-to-back ranked matchups over the weekend. The first defeat came against No. 4 South Carolina (1-0) before MSU lost to Auburn (3-0).
Scouting LSU
The Tigers come into Friday's contest with a 6-9-0 record, having lost their last five outings. In the five-game losing streak LSU has only managed to score two goals while being outscored 15-2. Senior Jorain Baucom has led the Tiger attack this season after netting nine goals for LSU. The forward is third in the SEC for goals scored, just three behind league-leader Savannah Jordan of Florida. LSU's top scorer has been quiet of late however, as Baucom has not scored since Sept. 18th's hat trick against Lamar.
Mirror Images
The Bulldogs and Tigers closely mirror one another when comparing stats inside the SEC. MSU has been outscored 16-5 in conference play while LSU has been outmatched 18-5. LSU slightly out ranks the Bulldogs in the SEC for all offensive categories (shots, goals, assists) while MSU edges out LSU in defensive stats among league teams (goals allowed & saves).
Up Next
After Friday's home matchup, the Bulldogs set out for their final road trip of the season as MSU travels to Knoxville on Thursday, Oct. 20 to face Tennessee before ending the weekend on Sunday, Oct. 23 against Florida in Gainesville.
Additional Notes
How to Watch Friday's Game
The contest will broadcast on SEC Network +, with Anthony Craven (play-by-play) and Robbie Kroger (analyst) calling the action.
Live Stats
Live stats for the game can be found here or by visiting HailState.com.
Admission
Admission for Friday's game, as with all Bulldog home games, is free.
Promotions
The first 100 fans will receive a free t-shirt when arriving to the MSU Soccer Field, while those with cowbells can pick up MSU Soccer Crest stickers. A total of 20 MSU Soccer Scarfs will be up for grabs, as fans can win drawings throughout the game. The always popular "$10K Crossbar Challenge" will return at halftime, as one lucky fan will have a chance to win $10,000. Kids' Zone inflatables will also be set up near the MSU Soccer Field grandstands.
Social Media
For more information on the Mississippi State soccer program, follow "HailStateSOC" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
"We're excited to be back home and look forward to the opportunity we have this Friday against LSU," head coach Aaron Gordon said. "We've had a good week of training and all of our focus has been devoted to LSU. This game is crucial for qualifying for the SEC Tournament and both teams know that, so it should be a good battle."
The top 10 teams in the league qualify for the conference tournament in Orange Beach, Ala., which is set to begin on Oct. 31. The Bulldogs and Tigers are currently tied for 11th in the SEC, four points back of the cutoff line. MSU has not reached the SEC Tournament since 2004.
Last Time Out
The Bulldogs dropped a road contest to then No. 18 Auburn last Sunday as MSU fell in back-to-back ranked matchups over the weekend. The first defeat came against No. 4 South Carolina (1-0) before MSU lost to Auburn (3-0).
Scouting LSU
The Tigers come into Friday's contest with a 6-9-0 record, having lost their last five outings. In the five-game losing streak LSU has only managed to score two goals while being outscored 15-2. Senior Jorain Baucom has led the Tiger attack this season after netting nine goals for LSU. The forward is third in the SEC for goals scored, just three behind league-leader Savannah Jordan of Florida. LSU's top scorer has been quiet of late however, as Baucom has not scored since Sept. 18th's hat trick against Lamar.
Mirror Images
The Bulldogs and Tigers closely mirror one another when comparing stats inside the SEC. MSU has been outscored 16-5 in conference play while LSU has been outmatched 18-5. LSU slightly out ranks the Bulldogs in the SEC for all offensive categories (shots, goals, assists) while MSU edges out LSU in defensive stats among league teams (goals allowed & saves).
Up Next
After Friday's home matchup, the Bulldogs set out for their final road trip of the season as MSU travels to Knoxville on Thursday, Oct. 20 to face Tennessee before ending the weekend on Sunday, Oct. 23 against Florida in Gainesville.
Additional Notes
- With four games left to be played, head coach Aaron Gordon has already recorded a career-high for wins in a season at six
- LSU is undefeated in Starkville (9-0-1)
- MSU's last win against the Tigers came on Oct. 7, 2001 in Baton Rouge (2-0)
- Three out of the last four meetings between the two clubs have been decided by one goal
- A total of 11 Bulldogs have scored goals for MSU this season
- The quartet of Mallory Eubanks, MaKayla Waldner, Johanna Hamblett and Kennadi Carbin are tied for the team-lead in goals with two scored this season
- Johanna Hamblett is the only freshman to start in every game for MSU
How to Watch Friday's Game
The contest will broadcast on SEC Network +, with Anthony Craven (play-by-play) and Robbie Kroger (analyst) calling the action.
Live Stats
Live stats for the game can be found here or by visiting HailState.com.
Admission
Admission for Friday's game, as with all Bulldog home games, is free.
Promotions
The first 100 fans will receive a free t-shirt when arriving to the MSU Soccer Field, while those with cowbells can pick up MSU Soccer Crest stickers. A total of 20 MSU Soccer Scarfs will be up for grabs, as fans can win drawings throughout the game. The always popular "$10K Crossbar Challenge" will return at halftime, as one lucky fan will have a chance to win $10,000. Kids' Zone inflatables will also be set up near the MSU Soccer Field grandstands.
Social Media
For more information on the Mississippi State soccer program, follow "HailStateSOC" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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