Sunday, September 11
Starkville
1:00 PM
Mississippi State
5-3-0
2
vs
1
ULL
4-4-0
1
2
F
Louisiana-Lafayette
1
0
1
Mississippi State
1
1
2
Senior Jamil Coner earned her first-collegiate goal in the win
Coner’s Score Propels MSU To Senior Day Win
September 11, 2016 | Soccer
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Riding a wave of momentum on Senior Day, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-3-0) downed visiting Louisiana-Lafayette (4-4-0) 2-1 as MSU capped its non-conference slate for the season.
You couldn't have scripted a better Senior Day than the one senior Jamila Coner had on Sunday against the Ragin' Cajuns. The Dallas, Texas native earned the start and scored her first-career goal that led to MSU's 2-1 victory.
"I was really excited about Senior Day and it was a very emotional time," Coner said. "I really wanted to work hard and have a good game. I knew Mallory would give me that cross, so I just thought 'I have to get to the front post.' She dropped it in and I just poked it in. This was the best Senior Day I could have ever imagined."
The score came in the 54th minute of a tied game, as Coner pounced on a pass from junior Mallory Eubanks to tap in the go-ahead score.
Eubanks also turned in a sensational performance on Sunday, as the forward scored the game's first goal in the 21st minute and added an assist to finish with three points in the 2-1 win. The goal for Eubanks was earned after she outran the Ragin' Cajun backline to hammer home her second score of the season and give MSU the early 1-0 lead.
ULL would score right before the break, as team-leader MacKenzie Higgins snuck in a score on an Ashleigh Cade throw in. The clubs would go into halftime knotted up at 1-1.
MSU began the second half in an aggressive manor, as the Bulldogs took three quick shots in the first three minutes to pressure ULL. The pressure finally paid off in the 54th minute with the Ragin' Cajun defense cracking and allowing Coner to penetrate deep into the box for the tap-in score.
"We struggled to find our groove in the first 45 minutes, but our team found that extra gear and turned in a good result this afternoon," head coach Aaron Gordon said. "Sunday's are tough and performing well on emotional days like today make it even tougher, so I am proud of how we fought to get the win for our three seniors."
With the win, MSU caps the non-conference slate with a 5-2-0 mark to earn the Bulldogs' best out-of-conference record since 2012.
Three's A Company For Eubanks:
Before the start of the 2016 season, junior Eubanks had only two games where she earned three points. After Sunday's performance she now has two for this season alone. The Lexington, Ky., native earned her second-goal of the season in the 21st minute of Sunday's game, before notching her second assist of the season.
Bulldogs Out Corner The Competition:
MSU has earned 59 corners this season, after a year removed from logging 100 in 2015. In eight games this season the Bulldogs have only been outplayed in corner kicking once (South Alabama).
Goal Scoring Rundown:
MSU – (21:35) Junior Mallory Eubanks sprinted down the middle of the Ragin' Cajun defense to score the opening goal of the game. It was her second score of the season for MSU.
ULL – (42:09) MacKenzie Higgins continued her blistering goal-scoring pace after tying the game up before the break. The score was pushed in after a throw in from Ashleigh Cade landed behind Bulldog defenders.
MSU – (54:26) Mallory Eubanks sent a laser cross to senior Mila Coner who muscled past the ULL goalkeeper to tap in her first-collegiate goal.
Up Next:
The Maroon and White caps its three-game homestand next Sunday as the Bulldogs hosts SEC-foe Vanderbilt at 2 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast by ESPNU and will be MSU's first appearance on the station since last season's road win against Alabama (10/25/15).
Additional Notes:
Social Media:
For more information on the Mississippi State soccer program, follow "HailStateSOC" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
You couldn't have scripted a better Senior Day than the one senior Jamila Coner had on Sunday against the Ragin' Cajuns. The Dallas, Texas native earned the start and scored her first-career goal that led to MSU's 2-1 victory.
"I was really excited about Senior Day and it was a very emotional time," Coner said. "I really wanted to work hard and have a good game. I knew Mallory would give me that cross, so I just thought 'I have to get to the front post.' She dropped it in and I just poked it in. This was the best Senior Day I could have ever imagined."
The score came in the 54th minute of a tied game, as Coner pounced on a pass from junior Mallory Eubanks to tap in the go-ahead score.
Eubanks also turned in a sensational performance on Sunday, as the forward scored the game's first goal in the 21st minute and added an assist to finish with three points in the 2-1 win. The goal for Eubanks was earned after she outran the Ragin' Cajun backline to hammer home her second score of the season and give MSU the early 1-0 lead.
ULL would score right before the break, as team-leader MacKenzie Higgins snuck in a score on an Ashleigh Cade throw in. The clubs would go into halftime knotted up at 1-1.
MSU began the second half in an aggressive manor, as the Bulldogs took three quick shots in the first three minutes to pressure ULL. The pressure finally paid off in the 54th minute with the Ragin' Cajun defense cracking and allowing Coner to penetrate deep into the box for the tap-in score.
"We struggled to find our groove in the first 45 minutes, but our team found that extra gear and turned in a good result this afternoon," head coach Aaron Gordon said. "Sunday's are tough and performing well on emotional days like today make it even tougher, so I am proud of how we fought to get the win for our three seniors."
With the win, MSU caps the non-conference slate with a 5-2-0 mark to earn the Bulldogs' best out-of-conference record since 2012.
Three's A Company For Eubanks:
Before the start of the 2016 season, junior Eubanks had only two games where she earned three points. After Sunday's performance she now has two for this season alone. The Lexington, Ky., native earned her second-goal of the season in the 21st minute of Sunday's game, before notching her second assist of the season.
Bulldogs Out Corner The Competition:
MSU has earned 59 corners this season, after a year removed from logging 100 in 2015. In eight games this season the Bulldogs have only been outplayed in corner kicking once (South Alabama).
Goal Scoring Rundown:
MSU – (21:35) Junior Mallory Eubanks sprinted down the middle of the Ragin' Cajun defense to score the opening goal of the game. It was her second score of the season for MSU.
ULL – (42:09) MacKenzie Higgins continued her blistering goal-scoring pace after tying the game up before the break. The score was pushed in after a throw in from Ashleigh Cade landed behind Bulldog defenders.
MSU – (54:26) Mallory Eubanks sent a laser cross to senior Mila Coner who muscled past the ULL goalkeeper to tap in her first-collegiate goal.
Up Next:
The Maroon and White caps its three-game homestand next Sunday as the Bulldogs hosts SEC-foe Vanderbilt at 2 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast by ESPNU and will be MSU's first appearance on the station since last season's road win against Alabama (10/25/15).
Additional Notes:
- This is the seventh time in program history the Bulldogs have won five out of their first eight games
- The Bulldogs now have a 1-0-0 record all-time against ULL, after State took Sunday's first-ever meeting, 2-1.
- Aaron Gordon has now won a career-high five times this season, with 10 games still left to be played
- Sunday's go-ahead goal for Mila Coner was her first-collegiate score of her career
- MaKayla Waldner's four shots tied a season-high (College of Charleston)
- Five Bulldogs went the distance on Sunday, as Mallory Eubanks, Kiley Martens, Carly Mauldin, Courtney Robicheaux and Tanya de Souza played the full 90 minutes
- Freshman Johanna Hamblett is the only freshman to start all eight games for MSU
Social Media:
For more information on the Mississippi State soccer program, follow "HailStateSOC" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Team Stats
ULL
MSU
Goals
1
2
Shots
8
15
Shots on Goal
6
8
Saves
6
5
Corners
4
7
Fouls
6
3
Scoring Plays
Mallory Eubanks (2)
Eubanks scores on the run from midfield.
21:35
Higgins, Mackenzie (8)
Assisted By: Cade, Ashleigh
Higgins scores during the scrum in the b
42:09
Jamila Coner (1)
Assisted By: Mallory Eubanks
Coner scores on the pass from Eubanks.
54:26
Game Leaders
Shots
2
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
1
Shots
4
SOG
3
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
4
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
M
/ Soccer
GK
/ SoccerF
/ Soccer
M/D
/ Soccer
M
/ Soccer
M
/ Soccer
D
/ SoccerF
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