Soccer Drops Road Match, 2-1, at No. 5/4 Texas A&M

Friday, October 12

College Station, Texas

7:30 PM

Mississippi State

9-4-1, 2-4-1SEC

#5 Texas A&M

14-1-1, 5-1-1SEC

Mississippi State

Texas A&M

Soccer Drops Road Match, 2-1, at No. 5/4 Texas A&M

October 12, 2018 | Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

by Brian Ogden, Assistant Coordinator/Communications

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Mississippi State (9-4-1, 2-4-1 SEC) lost on two second-half goals at No. 5/4 Texas A&M (14-1-1, 5-1-1 SEC) on Friday night. Senior Brooke McKee scored State's lone goal in the 2-1 loss.

Redshirt senior Rhylee DeCrane made a season-high eight saves in the match while senior Carly Mauldin moved into seventh all-time in career minutes at MSU (6,146).

Despite being outshot 15-5 in the first half, MSU kept the match scoreless. The Aggie's appeared to score twice, but were called offsides both times.

"In the first half, we didn't play well, but we didn't really give them much," head coach Tom Anagnost said. "All the stuff we gave them was shots from 30-35 yards out or self-inflicted where we don't clear a ball out."

In the 60^th minute, the Aggies' Ally Watt chased down a ball that was chipped into the box, slipping past two defenders. She shot low and to DeCrane's left. The Bulldog keeper was able to get a hand on the shot, but it trickled into the net for the first goal of the night.

The Aggie's found the net again in the 77^th minute off a scramble in the box. DeCrane came out to play the ball, but could not collect the rebound before Asdis Halldorsdottir scored with an assist from Watt.

"In the second half, we played better, statistically," Anagnost said. "We had the corners and the shot advantage. We had the chances. We're so close to being really good. I give Texas A&M credit because they're a great team and G (Guerrieri) and Phil (Stephenson) do a great job, but I know individually and collectively we can get there. I'm disappointed because I think it was an opportunity for us to take that step."

McKee's goal came with 57 seconds left to play. Following a Bulldog corner, the ball was poked free in the box. Freshman Hailey Farrington-Bentil make a soft pass to her left where McKee shot to get State on the board.

Texas A&M finished the match with 26 shots, the most the Bulldogs have allowed this season. MSU responded with 21 attempts of its own, including six in the final three minutes.

"I'm proud of our team because they don't quit," Anagnost said. "We keep coming and coming. We had another chance right before that goal too that didn't go in. In the end, they made two plays in the box, and we made one. That's the difference in the game."

The Bulldogs are back in action on Thursday, Oct. 18 when they host Arkansas at 7 p.m. CT. The match will air on SEC Network+.

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."