State Reviews a Season of SEC Success

by Brian Ogden, Assistant Coordinator/Communications

STARKVILLE – Making the SEC Tournament for the first time in 15 years was the highlight of Mississippi State's success in 2019. The Bulldogs had an especially strong conference season in James Armstrong's first season at the helm.

The Bulldogs posted program records in conference play for points (48), points per game (4.80), goals (16), goals per game (1.60), assists (16) and assists per game (1.60) and took the second most shots (151) in program history.

Despite losing in the first round of the league tournament, MSU snapped an 18-year postseason scoring drought when Niah Johnson found the net with a penalty kick against Ole Miss.

The Bulldogs finished 8-8-3, marking their third consecutive eight-win season, a first in program history. Armstrong's eight wins are tied for third in school history among first-year head coaches. In league play, State went 3-4-3, picking up points in 60 percent of its matches, an all-time high. MSU's .450 winning percentage in conference play ranks third in school history as do the Bulldogs' four road wins this year.

MSU won more road games in conference play this season than they had in the previous three years combined. It was the first time since 2015 that MSU won multiple SEC games outside of Starkville. MSU's 12 points in the SEC standings were its highest since registering 16 in 2004.

State also claimed the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award for the second time in three years when MaKayla Waldner was named a co-honoree. Waldner was also the Bulldogs' fourth First Team All-SEC selection in program history.

Team Highlights…

The Bulldogs finished the regular season ranked fourth in the SEC with 15.1 shots per game in league play. Before their final three games, they were ranked 10^th.
State closed the regular-season on a three-match unbeaten streak in conference play, which is tied for the longest in school history. The streak will remain active entering next year's SEC opener.
MSU went to overtime five times in conference play, which was tied for the most in the league.
Nine Bulldogs scored at least one goal this year, including six first-time scorers. Sixteen players recorded a point, which is the most since 2008 when 20 players had a point.
For the first time since 2010, a pair of Bulldogs scored multiple goals after not scoring any in the previous season. Monigo Karnley scored four with her first coming against UT-Martin, and Hailey Farrington-Bentil added three, scoring her first at Idaho.
The senior class won 32 games, which is tied for fourth in school history.
James Armstrong is one of two active SEC head coaches to make the conference tournament in his first season as a head coach.

Individual Highlights…

MaKayla Waldner ended her career as the MSU record holder in game-winning goals (11). She ranks second all-time in goals (28), shots (201) and multi-goal games (5). Waldner is tied for third in career points (39).
For her career in SEC-only competition, Waldner is second in points (25), goals (11) and shots (118).
Waldner led the team in points (21), goals (10), shots (55) and shots on goal (23). This year marked her first time leading MSU in points and her third consecutive season doing so in shots.
Against Auburn, Waldner recorded five points, becoming the first MSU player to do so since 2013.
Waldner is just the fifth player, and the first since 2013, to post a 10-goal season. Her career-high 21 points rank eighth in MSU single-season history.
Hailey Zerbel closed her career as the MSU career record holder in assists per game in SEC play. Through 19 SEC matches, she averaged 0.32 assists. Her six total assists rank third in school history.
Olivia Hernandez was tied for fourth in conference play with four assists, including a three-match assist streak to end the regular season. Her four assists in league play is an MSU record.
Hernandez now has five SEC assists in her career, which is tied for fifth all-time, and her 0.25 assists per game is currently second on MSU's all-time SEC-only leaderboard.
Monigo Karnley was also tied for fourth in league play with four assists, matching Hernandez for the MSU single-season SEC record. She is tied for seventh for her career in MSU's SEC history.
Karnley's seven total assists this year are tied for sixth in a single-season, and she now has 11 in her career which is tied for seventh all-time.
Onyi Echegini exploded onto the scene in the final three weeks of the season. The freshman currently ranks first in MSU's SEC-only history in career points per game (1.14), goals per game (0.57) and shots per game (4.00).
Echegini scored in three consecutive matches, tied for the sixth-longest streak in school history. Her four goals were tied for seventh in the SEC in league play and were second among freshmen.
Echegini took 10 shots at LSU, which is tied for sixth-most in a single-game in program history.
Niah Johnson now claims the career record for penalty kicks made with four. She made three this season and is a perfect 4-of-4 for her career.