Mississippi State Fights to 1-1 Tie in 25th Magnolia Cup

Thursday, September 26

Starkville

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

5-4-1, 0-1-1

Ole Miss

6-2-2, 0-0-2

Ole Miss

Mississippi State

Mississippi State Fights to 1-1 Tie in 25th Magnolia Cup

September 26, 2019 | Soccer

Box Score Box Score Photo Gallery Photo Gallery

by Brian Ogden, Assistant Coordinator/Communications

STARKVILLE – Two first-half goals were all Mississippi State and Ole Miss could muster as the programs tied in their 25^th meeting on Thursday night.

Ole Miss opened the scoring in the 18^th minute when Haleigh Stackpole pounced on a loose ball in the box and drove it to the upper right corner of the net.

As the half drew to a close, Hailey Zerbel sent a long clearance down the field. MaKayla Waldner fought through two defenders to reach the ball just moments before the keeper. She used a small touch to poke the ball under the sliding keeper in the 35^th minute for her sixth goal of the season in front of 1,015 fans.

Waldner entered the season averaging six goals per year. Tonight's tally was the 24^th of her career, and she is now just the sixth Bulldog in program history to record 50 career points.

State closed the first half with a 5-4 edge in shots and three corners to the Rebels' one.

"It was a typical rivalry game," head coach James Armstrong said. "I'm so proud of the girls' effort and their concentration. They had to deal with a lot of balls in the box. When we got the ball down and played, we got some really good chances. We had some moments to win the game."

The Bulldogs took two quick shots in the first five minutes of the second half, but both attempts were blocked in the box. MSU fired four more shots before the end of regulation and forced Ole Miss to make its only save of the night.

Monigo Karnley made an impressive run in the 87^th minute, dribbling through a pack of defenders, but her shot attempt was blocked. She had another chance to win the match with a shot from distance in the 90^th minute, but the ball sailed wide of the left post.

The Bulldogs' defense made crucial stops early in both overtime periods. In the 92^nd minute, Miranda Carrasco made a sliding tackle in the box to cut down a Rebel before she could get one-on-one with the keeper.

In the 102^nd minute Gabby English made her biggest save of the night, diving to her right. Niejia Watkins quickly controlled the rebound with an attacked on her back before clearing the danger.

For the match, the teams put up an even 13 shots a side. English made three total saves, including two in overtime. The Bulldogs won seven corners, while allowing two.

"The fans tonight brought an unbelievable atmosphere to this field," Armstrong said. "It made a difference in the game. The girls were talking, we have to do this for the fans and each other. I can't thank the Mississippi State fans enough for coming out tonight and really showing support for this team."

The Bulldogs will now head on a road trip for the first time in nearly a month. Mississippi State plays at Kentucky on Sunday with kickoff set for 1 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.

For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSOC."