Friday, October 12
College Station, Texas
7:30 PM
Mississippi State
at
#5 Texas A&M
State will play its fifth ranked opponent of the year and second in the RPI Top 10 at Texas A&M Friday.
Top 25 Matchup in Store for Soccer at No. 5/4 Texas A&M
October 11, 2018 | Soccer
by Brian Ogden, Assistant Coordinator/Communications
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State will face what may be its toughest road test of the season on Friday in College Station, Texas. The No. 23/19 Bulldogs will look for their first win in the all-time series with No. 5/4 Texas A&M when they kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT.
Texas A&M boasts the No. 2 RPI in the nation and is the reigning SEC Tournament champion. The Aggies were eliminated from the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament on penalty kicks against Notre Dame. The Aggies have climbed as high as No. 2 in the United Soccer Coaches' poll this season.
"It's a very loud, crowded, hostile environment, so that's going to be a great opportunity and experience for our team," head coach Tom Anagnost said. "I want to make sure everyone's ready and on the front foot to take advantage of that opportunity.
A win would be a huge boost for the Bulldogs' NCAA Tournament resume as it would be their second win over a team in the RPI Top 10 this year. It would also mark MSU's first 10-win season since 2001.
The Aggies have only trailed for 75:50 out of 1,280 minutes this year, but MSU has shown the ability to take early leads. On Sunday, freshman Niah Johnson scored in the third minute against Alabama. It was the fifth time this year, MSU has scored within 10 minutes of kickoff.
The Bulldog defense has kept the team in games all year. Even in losses at then-No. 19/14 Tennessee and then-No. 19/15 Vanderbilt, State only trailed for a combined 18 minutes. MSU is allowing 10.3 shots per game this year. The lowest mark a Bulldog squad has turned in for a full season is 12.0 in both 2015 and 2017.
Redshirt senior Rhylee DeCrane has benefited from the stingy defense. She is tied for the single-season shutout record (7) and is looking to become just the second MSU goalkeeper to record 10 wins in a season. Her 0.68 goals against average would be a single-season record.
MSU will be off on Sunday before returning home to host Arkansas on Thursday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. CT.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSOC." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State will face what may be its toughest road test of the season on Friday in College Station, Texas. The No. 23/19 Bulldogs will look for their first win in the all-time series with No. 5/4 Texas A&M when they kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT.
Texas A&M boasts the No. 2 RPI in the nation and is the reigning SEC Tournament champion. The Aggies were eliminated from the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament on penalty kicks against Notre Dame. The Aggies have climbed as high as No. 2 in the United Soccer Coaches' poll this season.
"It's a very loud, crowded, hostile environment, so that's going to be a great opportunity and experience for our team," head coach Tom Anagnost said. "I want to make sure everyone's ready and on the front foot to take advantage of that opportunity.
A win would be a huge boost for the Bulldogs' NCAA Tournament resume as it would be their second win over a team in the RPI Top 10 this year. It would also mark MSU's first 10-win season since 2001.
The Aggies have only trailed for 75:50 out of 1,280 minutes this year, but MSU has shown the ability to take early leads. On Sunday, freshman Niah Johnson scored in the third minute against Alabama. It was the fifth time this year, MSU has scored within 10 minutes of kickoff.
The Bulldog defense has kept the team in games all year. Even in losses at then-No. 19/14 Tennessee and then-No. 19/15 Vanderbilt, State only trailed for a combined 18 minutes. MSU is allowing 10.3 shots per game this year. The lowest mark a Bulldog squad has turned in for a full season is 12.0 in both 2015 and 2017.
Redshirt senior Rhylee DeCrane has benefited from the stingy defense. She is tied for the single-season shutout record (7) and is looking to become just the second MSU goalkeeper to record 10 wins in a season. Her 0.68 goals against average would be a single-season record.
MSU will be off on Sunday before returning home to host Arkansas on Thursday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. CT.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSOC." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."
Players Mentioned
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