Sunday, October 8
Starkville
6:00 PM
Mississippi State
vs
Ole Miss
Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Dawgs Poised for the Battle of the Magnolia Cup in Nationally Televised Bout
October 07, 2023 | Soccer
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State (7-3-3, 2-2-1 SEC) is set to host in-state foe Ole Miss (6-4-2, 2-2-1 SEC) for the annual battle for the Magnolia Cup on Sunday. StarkVegas will be center stage as the collegiate soccer world will set its sights on the MSU Soccer Field for the 6 PM kick in a battle not only for in-state supremacy but, for a leg up in the SEC Standings as the Dawgs and Rebels both sit in third place with seven points.
Mississippi State and Ole Miss have squared off every season since the Bulldog's inaugural 1995 season, competing in a slew of tight-knit affairs throughout the years as the average goals scored in the contest for both sides clocks in at just .9 goals. As of late, the Bulldogs have gained the upper hand in the rivalry, winning the last three meetings with all of those contests being one-goal differentials (1-0 in 2020, 3-2 in 2021, and 1-0 in 2022). Ole Miss has not won in Starkville since 2014.
For State, the play of the newly established back line has been one of the main storylines this season. After losing several key veteran leaders after the conclusion of the season last year, the Bulldogs have had a formidable defensive presence on the pitch this season. This season, opponents are averaging just 0.77 goals per game against MSU all while registering just 7.4 shots per game. The defense has been instrumental in securing crucial victories and tightly contested matches throughout this season.
Standing in goal for the Dawgs is the most accomplished keeper in school history, Maddy Anderson. Anderson secured her 20th clean sheet in the Maroon and White on Thursday night at Florida and currently is ranked second in the SEC in shutouts this season with five. Anderson also finds herself in several top-five SEC statistical categories including being third in saves (35) and fourth in both save percentage (.778) and goals allowed average (0.78).
On the goal-scoring side of things, Aitana Martinez-Montoya is leading the way for the Bulldogs this season with four goals while adding an assist to lead the Dawgs in points with nine and boasts a .500 shots-on-goal percentage for the season. Maggie Wadsworth leads the squad in assists with three.
On the other side of the pitch, seven different Rebels have scored goals and 13 different Rebels have earned points so far this season. Only Kelly Brady and Gili Johnson have scored more than once, and Aubrey Mister is the only Rebel to be credited with more than one assist. Defensively, Shu Ohba has been named SEC Defensive Player of the Week twice already this season, earning the honor in weeks three and five. Ohba leads the conference in saves, saves per game, and save percentage and is second in shutouts. She is ranked third in goals against average.
Bulldog fans are encouraged to make their way to the pitch Sunday night as the State and Ole Miss renew their soccer rivalry once again. Fans not able to attend can catch the Dawgs on ESPNU at 6:00 PM CT.
Â
Â
For the most up-to-date information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU women's soccer on X, like them on Facebook, and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateSoc."
Â
Mississippi State and Ole Miss have squared off every season since the Bulldog's inaugural 1995 season, competing in a slew of tight-knit affairs throughout the years as the average goals scored in the contest for both sides clocks in at just .9 goals. As of late, the Bulldogs have gained the upper hand in the rivalry, winning the last three meetings with all of those contests being one-goal differentials (1-0 in 2020, 3-2 in 2021, and 1-0 in 2022). Ole Miss has not won in Starkville since 2014.
For State, the play of the newly established back line has been one of the main storylines this season. After losing several key veteran leaders after the conclusion of the season last year, the Bulldogs have had a formidable defensive presence on the pitch this season. This season, opponents are averaging just 0.77 goals per game against MSU all while registering just 7.4 shots per game. The defense has been instrumental in securing crucial victories and tightly contested matches throughout this season.
Standing in goal for the Dawgs is the most accomplished keeper in school history, Maddy Anderson. Anderson secured her 20th clean sheet in the Maroon and White on Thursday night at Florida and currently is ranked second in the SEC in shutouts this season with five. Anderson also finds herself in several top-five SEC statistical categories including being third in saves (35) and fourth in both save percentage (.778) and goals allowed average (0.78).
On the goal-scoring side of things, Aitana Martinez-Montoya is leading the way for the Bulldogs this season with four goals while adding an assist to lead the Dawgs in points with nine and boasts a .500 shots-on-goal percentage for the season. Maggie Wadsworth leads the squad in assists with three.
On the other side of the pitch, seven different Rebels have scored goals and 13 different Rebels have earned points so far this season. Only Kelly Brady and Gili Johnson have scored more than once, and Aubrey Mister is the only Rebel to be credited with more than one assist. Defensively, Shu Ohba has been named SEC Defensive Player of the Week twice already this season, earning the honor in weeks three and five. Ohba leads the conference in saves, saves per game, and save percentage and is second in shutouts. She is ranked third in goals against average.
Bulldog fans are encouraged to make their way to the pitch Sunday night as the State and Ole Miss renew their soccer rivalry once again. Fans not able to attend can catch the Dawgs on ESPNU at 6:00 PM CT.
Â
Â
Â
– HailState.com –
Players Mentioned
SOCCER | Nick Zimmerman and Player Media Session
Wednesday, September 17
SOCCER | Nick Zimmerman and Players Press Conference vs Tennessee
Friday, September 12
SOCCER | Nick Zimmerman and Players Media Session
Wednesday, September 10
SOCCER | Nick Zimmerman and Players Press Conference vs Louisiana Tech
Thursday, September 04