Bulldogs Travel To Ole Miss To Renew Rivalry On Soccer Field

Thursday, September 22

Oxford, Miss.

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

Ole Miss

Bulldogs travel to Oxford for Thursday night showdown

Bulldogs Travel To Ole Miss To Renew Rivalry On Soccer Field

September 21, 2016 | Soccer

Game Notes (MSU)Game Notes (Ole Miss)Live Stats SEC Network

STARKVILLE, Miss. – For the first time since 2014, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-4-0, 0-2-0 SEC) will face the Ole Miss Rebels (5-5-0, 0-2-0 SEC) as the two squads prepare for a Thursday night showdown on SEC Network at 6 p.m. CT.

"We're excited to face Ole Miss for the first time in almost two years, we have a lot of people on our roster that have never played Ole Miss so I know we will be excited going into Thursday," head coach Aaron Gordon said. "We have nine more games left in conference play, so we are focused on getting good results and the first step in doing that will be to perform well on Thursday."

The matchup will be the first against the Rebels since Sept. 19, 2014, which Ole Miss won in Starkville, 1-0. The Bulldogs are 6-12-3 all-time against the squad from Oxford with their last win coming in a double-overtime thriller back on Oct. 25, 2012. The Maroon and White have not won in Oxford since Nov. 2, 2001, as MSU has only managed two wins overall against Ole Miss on the road.

Last Time Out
After a 1-hour, 45-minute lightning delay to begin last Sunday's action, the Bulldogs went 104 minutes against Vanderbilt but couldn't hold off the Commodores as MSU fell in double overtime, 2-1. In the defeat sophomore Courtney Robicheaux earned her first collegiate goal after scoring in the third minute against Vandy.

Scouting Ole Miss
Ole Miss is 5-5-0 on the season, having lost three out of its last five contests. With 18 points this season, senior Addie Forbus leads the Rebel attack as she ranks third in the SEC in point production. The Amory, Miss., native has earned eight goals and two assists on the year for Ole Miss. Goals for the rest of the team however are hard to come by, with the Rebels only scoring 13 goals compared to last season when they had 22 at this point in the season.

Keys For MSU
Junior Mallory Eubanks comes into the contest as MSU's leader on the attack. The captain has six points on the season, after scoring two goals and adding two assists. All six points have come in just two contests, as Eubanks turned in a pair of three-point performances against UT Martin and Louisiana-Lafayette. The junior's pressure against Ole Miss will be crucial, with the Rebels ranking last in goals allowed this season.

Up Next
The Maroon and White continues the road swing with a trip to Missouri on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. The Bulldogs earned a 1-1 draw with the Tigers last season in Starkville, marking the first result for MSU against Missouri in the head-to-head series.

Additional Notes

MSU has turned in the program's best nine-game stretch since 2012's 7-1-1 start
With nine games still to be played, head coach Aaron Gordon has already tied his season-high in wins for a year at five
Junior Tanya de Souza ranks first in the SEC in saves per game at 5.50 an outing
De Souza is currently third in the SEC for saves at 44 on the year
Freshman Johanna Hamblett is the only MSU freshman to earn a start in all nine games
Sophomore Carly Mauldin leads the teams in minutes at 835

How to Watch Thursday's Game
The contest will televised live on SEC Network, with Jenn Hildreth (play-by-play) and Heather Mitts (analyst) calling the action.

Live Stats
Live stats for the game can be found here or by visiting OleMissSports.com.

Admission
Admission for Thursday's game at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium is free.

Social Media:
For more information on the Mississippi State soccer program, follow "HailStateSOC" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.