Late Goal Spoils State’s Defensive Effort

Thursday, August 26

Starkville

7:00 p.m.

Mississippi State

1-2-0, 0-0-0

Arizona State

3-0-0, 0-0-0

Arizona State

Mississippi State

Late Goal Spoils State’s Defensive Effort

August 26, 2021 | Soccer

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By: Brian Ogden, Assistant Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – A late goal spoiled an otherwise impressive defensive showing for Mississippi State on Thursday night as the Bulldogs lost 1-0 to Arizona State.

Maddy Anderson made four saves, but a ball slipped by off the foot of ASU's Nicole Douglas in the 89^th minute.

"It was the game we thought it would be," head coach James Armstrong said. "We like to play good soccer but also battle. I couldn't be more proud of the girls. I thought it was a really great effort from start to finish. Soccer is a cruel game sometimes. Take nothing away from Arizona State. The girl scored a quality goal at the end there, and that's what she's capable of doing. We knew that going in. We lost her for a second in the box, and she punished them."

Anderson made her first save in the eighth minute, but the Sun Devils (3-0-0) were fairly quiet for the remainder of the first half. Hannah Telleysh tested the keeper in the 21^st minute, but the save was made with a dive to the right. At the break, the two sides were even with a pair of shots on goal, though MSU held a 4-3 edge in corners.

State (1-2-0) continued to battle in the second half. Monigo Karnley nearly found the back of the net in the 48^th minute, but the goalkeeper made a close-range save on the goal line.

Onyi Echegini made a sliding block on a shot from the top corner of the 18-yard box in the 67^th minute then sparked the first of three more quick chances on the offensive end. In the 77^th minute, she took a free kick from 20 yards out but saw her shot clip the right post.

In the 84^th minute, Macey Hodge deflected a corner in a crowded box, but the keeper scooped the ball up before a Hodge could control her shot. Three minutes later, Hannah Johnson's shot sailed over the bar.

"At the end of the day, they just made one more play than us, but I'm super proud of the effort," Armstrong said. "There are a lot of positives to take from it. This was a great test for us and one where we fell short. I don't think either of us really wanted to go to extra time, so I think both teams took a few chances. They just made one extra play."

The loss snaps MSU's five-match home winning streak and the Bulldogs' shutout streak. State had gone 474:29 without allowing a goal at home. The Bulldogs return to the pitch in Starkville on Sunday afternoon to host Southeast Missouri at 1 p.m. CT.

For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, visit HailState.com or search for "HailStateSOC" on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.