Friday, September 17
Baton Rouge, La.
7:00 p.m.
Mississippi State
at
LSU
Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
State Opens SEC Slate At No. 6 LSU
September 16, 2021 | Soccer
BATON ROUGE, La. – After an 11-day hiatus due to COVID protocols, Mississippi State's soccer team will open the SEC portion of its schedule at No. 6 LSU on Friday night. The match will be televised on SEC Network and kick off at 7 p.m. CT.
It will mark Maddy Anderson's first match since she was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 7 after allowing just one goal in 220 minutes with a career high in saves in a pair of ties. Anderson also ranks third in the SEC in save percentage (.879).
LSU (7-0-0), winners of 10 straight, enters the match riding the longest winning streak in the history of its program and the nation's longest active streak. The Tigers have also climbed to their highest ranking on record and rank ninth nationally in goals scored.
"They're unbeaten," head coach James Armstrong said. "They have experience and a lot of depth. They're the most-athletic team that we've faced. They're going to be a challenge. We're going to have to be at our best and go there with a Bulldog mentality to compete and earn the right to play."
State has shutout the opponent in 31.6 percent of its matches under Armstrong with 10-0-2 record in such games. MSU has more depth this year than in any of Armstrong's prior seasons. Already, the Bulldogs have used 20 different players this season, including five freshmen.
"The girls understand that this is an opportunity to face adversity," Armstrong added. "You find out a lot about yourself as an individual. We'll find out a lot about ourselves and our team. They're going to be tested. It's not going to be easy."
With Friday's meeting in Baton Rouge, State will have played six matches against top-10 teams since the start of the 2018 season. MSU's last top-10 victory came in 2006 in a 3-2 win against then-No. 8 Tennessee.
The Bulldogs will be off on Sunday, but return to play at Georgia on Thursday, Sept. 23. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. CT with the game airing on SEC Network+.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, visit HailState.com or search for "HailStateSOC" on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
It will mark Maddy Anderson's first match since she was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 7 after allowing just one goal in 220 minutes with a career high in saves in a pair of ties. Anderson also ranks third in the SEC in save percentage (.879).
LSU (7-0-0), winners of 10 straight, enters the match riding the longest winning streak in the history of its program and the nation's longest active streak. The Tigers have also climbed to their highest ranking on record and rank ninth nationally in goals scored.
"They're unbeaten," head coach James Armstrong said. "They have experience and a lot of depth. They're the most-athletic team that we've faced. They're going to be a challenge. We're going to have to be at our best and go there with a Bulldog mentality to compete and earn the right to play."
State has shutout the opponent in 31.6 percent of its matches under Armstrong with 10-0-2 record in such games. MSU has more depth this year than in any of Armstrong's prior seasons. Already, the Bulldogs have used 20 different players this season, including five freshmen.
"The girls understand that this is an opportunity to face adversity," Armstrong added. "You find out a lot about yourself as an individual. We'll find out a lot about ourselves and our team. They're going to be tested. It's not going to be easy."
With Friday's meeting in Baton Rouge, State will have played six matches against top-10 teams since the start of the 2018 season. MSU's last top-10 victory came in 2006 in a 3-2 win against then-No. 8 Tennessee.
The Bulldogs will be off on Sunday, but return to play at Georgia on Thursday, Sept. 23. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. CT with the game airing on SEC Network+.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, visit HailState.com or search for "HailStateSOC" on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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