Bulldog Soccer Falls Just Short to #7 Arkansas in Season Closer

Friday, November 6

Starkville

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

2-3-3, 2-3-3

#7 Arkansas

7-1-0, 7-1-0

Arkansas

Mississippi State

Photo by: Florida Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 06, 2020 - Stronger Together jersey patch during the match between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Florida Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 06, 2020 - The Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Arkansas Razorbacks pose for a photo before their match at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Florida Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 06, 2020 - The Mississippi State Bulldogs huddle during the match between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Florida Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 06, 2020 - Mississippi State Forward Monigo Karnley (#20) during the match between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Florida Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 06, 2020 - Mississippi State Defender Olivia Simpson (#23) during the match between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Florida Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 06, 2020 - Mississippi State Forward Hailey Farrington-Bentil (#27) during the match between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Florida Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 06, 2020 - Mississippi State Forward Onyi Echegini (#7) during the match between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Florida Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 06, 2020 - Mississippi State Midfielder Macey Hodge (#4) during the match between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Florida Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 06, 2020 - Mississippi State Defender Kristen Malebranche (#24) during the match between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Florida Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 06, 2020 - Mississippi State Goalkeeper Maddy Anderson (#1) during the match between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Florida Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 06, 2020 - Mississippi State Forward/Midfielder KK Pavatt (#25) during the match between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Florida Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 06, 2020 - Mississippi State Midfielder Birna J?hansd?ttir (#31) during the match between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Florida Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 06, 2020 - Mississippi State Forward Hailey Farrington-Bentil (#27) and Forward Monigo Karnley (#20) hug after scoring a goal during the match between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Florida Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 06, 2020 - Mississippi State Forward Elle McCaslin (#9) during the match between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Florida Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 06, 2020 - Mississippi State Midfielder/Forward Andrea Tyrrell (#3) during the match between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Florida Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 06, 2020 - Mississippi State Forward Marcella Cash (#17) during the match between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Austin Perryman

Photo by: Florida Athletics

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 06, 2020 - The Mississippi State Bulldogs take on the Arkansas Razorbacks at the MSU Soccer Field in Starkville, MS. Photo By Laura Parsley

Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics

Bulldog Soccer Falls Just Short to #7 Arkansas in Season Closer

November 06, 2020 | Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Bulldogs await their seeding into the 2020 SEC Tournament.

By: Madelon Allen, Assistant Coordinator/Communications

STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State soccer program closed its 2020 regular-season campaign on Friday night against No. 7 Arkansas, falling just short in a 2-1 decision to the Razorbacks.

The Bulldogs (2-3-3) fought against the aerial-play of the Razorbacks (7-1-0) up until the final buzzer. The team now awaits their seeding for the 2020 SEC Tournament held in Orange Beach, Alabama.

"The main thing we wanted to work on was that we matched them physically," said head coach James Armstrong. "We made sure we never took a play off and earn the right to play, and when we earned the right to play, to impose our game on them. I thought we did that. Unfortunately, we had two times when the ball bounced for them and didn't bounce for us. We had more corners and shots than the champions of the West, but it just didn't go in tonight."

Mississippi State came out of the gate with a fire about them, showing no fear against the nationally ranked Arkansas team. It was the fourth-straight match the Bulldogs kept a consistent starting lineup made up of five freshmen, one senior and one sophomore, and four juniors. Within the first minute of the match, Olivia Simpson took a shot, but it went wide. Andrea Tyrrell took a shot of her own, but it was blocked in the second minute. Maddy Anderson saved a shot at the start of the third minute, and all went quiet for the next seven. Arkansas' Parker Goins found the back of the net with 10:30 on the clock.

In the 18^th minute, they'd score again, this time off a corner kick and from Ava Tankersley. The Bulldogs revved their engines and continued to push forward. Off a corner kick of their own, KK Pavatt served a ball up to Monigo Karnley, but her shot was blocked and bounced back to allow a shot from Macey Hodge. Taylor Beitz, the Arkansas netminder, pushed it out of bounds and force another corner kick. After a few shots from Arkansas toward the 30-minute mark and a foul on State, Hailey Farrington-Bentil notched her second goal of the season off a cross from Simpson and pass by Karnley.

"That was a real team goal," said Farrington-Bentil. "It was hard work, but it was everyone's hard work put together. With Olivia Simpson and then Monigo Karnley setting it, and I was just there to tap it in. Even before that with everyone on the bench cheering us on. Everyone around us had a part in that goal and everybody helped us get back into it."

After the half, the fight continued. Pavatt took a free kick for the Bulldogs within Arkansas territory, but the keeper would scoop it up. Anderson would deliver another clutch save in the 64^th minute to keep the Razorbacks at bay. Marcella Cash, Elle McCaslin, and Ky Burroughs would all periodically enter the match to help their team. Fouls and substitutions continued to be interchanged with the Bulldogs working on the Arkansas side up until the last second. A corner kick was taken by Pavatt, and State took a last push as the clock ran out.

Up Next
The Bulldogs await their seeding assignment ahead of the SEC Tournament held in Orange Beach, Alabama from Nov. 13-22. With the Georgia-Missouri matchup being canceled, the seeding will now be based on points per game. The Tournament will be single-elimination.

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