Sunday, September 8
Starkville
7:00 PM
Mississippi State
vs
#18 Memphis
MSU Hosts No. 18/RV Memphis on Sunday
September 07, 2019 | Soccer
by Brian Ogden, Assistant Coordinator/Communications
STARKVILLE – A rare matchup against a ranked, non-conference opponent awaits the Mississippi State soccer team on Sunday evening. The Bulldogs will host No. 18/RV Memphis at 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.
MSU will be celebrating its 25th season of soccer, and fans in attendance can receive a free 25th season t-shirt while supplies last. The Bulldogs played the first match in program history on Sept. 2, 1995.
The match will be State's seventh ever against a ranked opponent outside of SEC play and the first such meeting since Aug. 21, 2016, when MSU played then-No. 17 Virginia Tech on a neutral pitch. It will mark the first such game in Starkville since then-Big 12 foe Missouri came to Starkville with a No. 25 ranking on Sept. 12, 2003. The Bulldogs won that match for their first victory over a ranked opponent in program history.
"We are very excited to welcome a Memphis team that is deservedly nationally ranked," head coach James Armstrong said. "This will be a great test for our girls and the type of game everyone looks forward to. We know we'll have to compete for the entire duration of the match and show improvement from our previous outings."
Memphis enters the match with a 31-8-1 record as a ranked team, and the Tigers have held a spot in the United Soccer Coaches' poll for the last seven weeks.
A balanced Bulldog attack will look to keep scoring at its current pace of 2.00 goals per game, which would rank third in school history. Seven different players have scored and 12 have recorded a point, which is tied for the third-most in the SEC this year. Of State's seven scorers, four had never scored a goal in their career before this season.
State's defense has been equally efficient, posting three shutouts in its first five games. MSU's opponents are mustering just 9.4 shots per game, more than two fewer shots than last year's program-record of 11.5. In their last game, the Bulldogs allowed just two shots, with neither landing on target.
Next week, MSU will host South Alabama on Thursday, Sept. 12 and No. RV/21 Boston College on Sunday, Sept. 15.
Location: Starkville, Mississippi
Time: Sunday, 7 p.m. CT
Broadcast: SEC Network+ (PxP – Anthony Craven; Analyst – Chris Nasuti)
At MSU: 3-3-1
At MEM: 3-4-1
Neutral Sites: N/A
Last Meeting: Aug. 23, 2018 (MSU 5 at MEM 2)
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSOC."
STARKVILLE – A rare matchup against a ranked, non-conference opponent awaits the Mississippi State soccer team on Sunday evening. The Bulldogs will host No. 18/RV Memphis at 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.
MSU will be celebrating its 25th season of soccer, and fans in attendance can receive a free 25th season t-shirt while supplies last. The Bulldogs played the first match in program history on Sept. 2, 1995.
The match will be State's seventh ever against a ranked opponent outside of SEC play and the first such meeting since Aug. 21, 2016, when MSU played then-No. 17 Virginia Tech on a neutral pitch. It will mark the first such game in Starkville since then-Big 12 foe Missouri came to Starkville with a No. 25 ranking on Sept. 12, 2003. The Bulldogs won that match for their first victory over a ranked opponent in program history.
"We are very excited to welcome a Memphis team that is deservedly nationally ranked," head coach James Armstrong said. "This will be a great test for our girls and the type of game everyone looks forward to. We know we'll have to compete for the entire duration of the match and show improvement from our previous outings."
Memphis enters the match with a 31-8-1 record as a ranked team, and the Tigers have held a spot in the United Soccer Coaches' poll for the last seven weeks.
A balanced Bulldog attack will look to keep scoring at its current pace of 2.00 goals per game, which would rank third in school history. Seven different players have scored and 12 have recorded a point, which is tied for the third-most in the SEC this year. Of State's seven scorers, four had never scored a goal in their career before this season.
State's defense has been equally efficient, posting three shutouts in its first five games. MSU's opponents are mustering just 9.4 shots per game, more than two fewer shots than last year's program-record of 11.5. In their last game, the Bulldogs allowed just two shots, with neither landing on target.
Next week, MSU will host South Alabama on Thursday, Sept. 12 and No. RV/21 Boston College on Sunday, Sept. 15.
Game Information
Opponent: No. 18/RV MemphisLocation: Starkville, Mississippi
Time: Sunday, 7 p.m. CT
Broadcast: SEC Network+ (PxP – Anthony Craven; Analyst – Chris Nasuti)
Series History
Overall: 6-7-2At MSU: 3-3-1
At MEM: 3-4-1
Neutral Sites: N/A
Last Meeting: Aug. 23, 2018 (MSU 5 at MEM 2)
Fast Facts
- Twelve Bulldogs have already recorded a point, which is tied for third in the SEC behind Arkansas (17) and Vanderbilt (15). Last year, just 13 players recorded a point all season.
- State has played 23 players this year with 14 different starters. Seven players have started every match.
- 11 of MSU's 16 newcomers have seen game action this year.
- Sept. 2 marked the 24th anniversary of the first match in school history. The Bulldogs will celebrate their 25th season against Memphis.
- An MSU win would be State's first over a ranked non-conference opponent since the Bulldogs defeated then-Big 12 member and then-No. 25 Missouri, 1-0, for their first ranked win in program history on Sept. 12, 2003.
- Gabby English has recorded three shutouts this season. With one more she will climb into MSU's single-season top 10.
- MaKayla Waldner broke the MSU career record for game-winning goals with her 10th against UT-Martin on Thursday. She also holds a share of the single-season record with five in 2017.
- Waldner's two goals against the Skyhawks moved her into sole possession of second all-time in both career goals (23) and multi-goal games (4). She is sixth in MSU history with 48 career points.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSOC."
Players Mentioned
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