Mississippi State Lands Four on SEC Watch List
August 20, 2019 | Soccer
by Brian Ogden, Assistant Coordinator/Communications
STARKVILLE – With soccer season opening on Thursday, the Southeastern Conference released its preseason watch list on Tuesday.
Mississippi State's Miranda Carrasco, Niah Johnson, Zakirah McGillivary and MaKayla Waldner all earned spots on the watch list.
Waldner, a senior forward from Dexter, Missouri, sits just one goal shy of cracking MSU's top five career goal scorers. She is just two game-winning goals away from matching the Bulldogs' career record. Waldner found the net seven times last year, second on the squad, and led the team with nine goals as a sophomore. She has led MSU in shots in each of the past two seasons.
McGillivary, an SEC All-Freshman Team selection a year ago, burst onto the scene with eight goals, including five game-winners, in 2018. Her game-winning goals tied Waldner's single-season record, and her eight goals were a team high. The sophomore forward from Brooklyn, New York, led the SEC in shots on goal percentage (.583) and ranked 50th nationally.
A member of State's best defense in program history, Carrasco also brought offense to the outside back position. The sophomore from Cypress, Texas, led the Bulldogs with seven assists, which ranked fourth among freshmen in MSU history. Defensively, she helped hold opponents to a program-record 11.5 shots per game as State registered eight shutouts, third-most in school history.
Johnson, who led MSU with a .222 shooting percentage last year, will be asked to step into the midfield gap left by Carly Mauldin. A sophomore from Rowlett, Texas, Johnson scored four times last year, including a second-half penalty kick against No. 13 South Carolina after taking the ball from Mauldin. She is State's third-leading returning scorer behind McGillivary and Waldner with nine points in 2018.
MSU opens its 25th season of soccer on Thursday night (Aug. 22) in Starkville. The Bulldogs will host Alabama A&M with kickoff on SEC Network+ set for 6 p.m. CT. The first 250 fans in attendance will receive free t-shirts, and those that bring their cowbells will be entered to win one of three $100 gift cards.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSOC."
STARKVILLE – With soccer season opening on Thursday, the Southeastern Conference released its preseason watch list on Tuesday.
Mississippi State's Miranda Carrasco, Niah Johnson, Zakirah McGillivary and MaKayla Waldner all earned spots on the watch list.
Waldner, a senior forward from Dexter, Missouri, sits just one goal shy of cracking MSU's top five career goal scorers. She is just two game-winning goals away from matching the Bulldogs' career record. Waldner found the net seven times last year, second on the squad, and led the team with nine goals as a sophomore. She has led MSU in shots in each of the past two seasons.
McGillivary, an SEC All-Freshman Team selection a year ago, burst onto the scene with eight goals, including five game-winners, in 2018. Her game-winning goals tied Waldner's single-season record, and her eight goals were a team high. The sophomore forward from Brooklyn, New York, led the SEC in shots on goal percentage (.583) and ranked 50th nationally.
A member of State's best defense in program history, Carrasco also brought offense to the outside back position. The sophomore from Cypress, Texas, led the Bulldogs with seven assists, which ranked fourth among freshmen in MSU history. Defensively, she helped hold opponents to a program-record 11.5 shots per game as State registered eight shutouts, third-most in school history.
Johnson, who led MSU with a .222 shooting percentage last year, will be asked to step into the midfield gap left by Carly Mauldin. A sophomore from Rowlett, Texas, Johnson scored four times last year, including a second-half penalty kick against No. 13 South Carolina after taking the ball from Mauldin. She is State's third-leading returning scorer behind McGillivary and Waldner with nine points in 2018.
MSU opens its 25th season of soccer on Thursday night (Aug. 22) in Starkville. The Bulldogs will host Alabama A&M with kickoff on SEC Network+ set for 6 p.m. CT. The first 250 fans in attendance will receive free t-shirts, and those that bring their cowbells will be entered to win one of three $100 gift cards.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSOC."
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