Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Rising Above Adversity
September 13, 2023 | Soccer
Maddy Anderson continuing to excel at the game she loves with a fresh, new perspective.
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State's Maddy Anderson has faced adversity head-on and never wavered.
That is why the senior goalkeeper has become one of the best at her position in the country. Week in and week out, Anderson displays her undeniable resilience on the pitch. Anderson's talent and ability as a leader is something head coach James Armstrong has noticed since her arrival as a freshman in 2020.
"The good thing for us is that Maddie came in as a freshman [in 2020] and now she's a senior," Armstrong said. "She's got leadership [and] she's got poise. Whoever you put in the backline knows that Maddie understands. [She is] behind them, talking to them [and] guiding them. A lot of times people see the saves, but they don't see how many times she distributes the ball. She's working really hard right now, and I think she's playing the best soccer at the moment."
It did not take long for the goalie from Seabrook, Texas to start shattering program records. Anderson brought her career shutout total to six in her sophomore season which tied for ninth in MSU history at the time. She recorded 65 saves and a save percentage of .774 in 1,500 minutes played.
Anderson was not finished rewriting history, however. She broke MSU's career shutout record in a 2-0 upset victory over Arkansas as a junior last year. Anderson also shattered the single-season shutouts record with her ninth clean sheet against Missouri later in the season.
But then, adversity struck the talented goalkeeper. Anderson faced an injury that sidelined her from playing through the rest of State's conference schedule. As she has done countless times in her collegiate career, Anderson displayed her toughness and returned to help the Bulldogs capture their first-ever NCAA Tournament win against New Mexico State.
"That injury gave me a new perspective, that I get to play soccer," Anderson said. "It's not something I have to do. It's something I get to play and a lot of people aren't fortunate enough to be able to play at a D1 level. I go in each and every day with a grateful heart and just have that mindset that I get to play this game and it's a beautiful game. I [also] get to glorify God doing it and so that injury helped me fix my perspective, and I'm able to attack this year with a new mentality."
As a senior captain for State in 2023, Anderson has recorded 22 saves and a save percentage of .846 through the first eight games of the season. She ranks second in the SEC in total saves and is third in the save percentage category.
State wrapped up non-conference play with a 1-0 victory over ULM on senior day Sunday afternoon. Following the win, Anderson spoke about what it has meant for her to be a Bulldog and announced her return as a graduate for MSU next season.
"It's meant the world to me," Anderson said. "This has been my home for four years and I'm actually staying another year so I'm super excited about that. [We're] family. I get to be with my family every single day and I get to do the thing that I love. It's amazing and I love it here."
As an experienced leader for the Bulldogs, Anderson also discussed the message to the team heading into SEC play Friday against Auburn at the MSU Soccer Field.
"Conference play [is] a new slate," Anderson said. "Let's start out with 0-0-0 [and] start out strong and just attack it full force. We're a great team when we just clam down [and] play our game and just recognize it doesn't matter what opponent we play. We just have to play our game and then we'll be good."
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That is why the senior goalkeeper has become one of the best at her position in the country. Week in and week out, Anderson displays her undeniable resilience on the pitch. Anderson's talent and ability as a leader is something head coach James Armstrong has noticed since her arrival as a freshman in 2020.
"The good thing for us is that Maddie came in as a freshman [in 2020] and now she's a senior," Armstrong said. "She's got leadership [and] she's got poise. Whoever you put in the backline knows that Maddie understands. [She is] behind them, talking to them [and] guiding them. A lot of times people see the saves, but they don't see how many times she distributes the ball. She's working really hard right now, and I think she's playing the best soccer at the moment."
It did not take long for the goalie from Seabrook, Texas to start shattering program records. Anderson brought her career shutout total to six in her sophomore season which tied for ninth in MSU history at the time. She recorded 65 saves and a save percentage of .774 in 1,500 minutes played.
Anderson was not finished rewriting history, however. She broke MSU's career shutout record in a 2-0 upset victory over Arkansas as a junior last year. Anderson also shattered the single-season shutouts record with her ninth clean sheet against Missouri later in the season.
But then, adversity struck the talented goalkeeper. Anderson faced an injury that sidelined her from playing through the rest of State's conference schedule. As she has done countless times in her collegiate career, Anderson displayed her toughness and returned to help the Bulldogs capture their first-ever NCAA Tournament win against New Mexico State.
"That injury gave me a new perspective, that I get to play soccer," Anderson said. "It's not something I have to do. It's something I get to play and a lot of people aren't fortunate enough to be able to play at a D1 level. I go in each and every day with a grateful heart and just have that mindset that I get to play this game and it's a beautiful game. I [also] get to glorify God doing it and so that injury helped me fix my perspective, and I'm able to attack this year with a new mentality."
As a senior captain for State in 2023, Anderson has recorded 22 saves and a save percentage of .846 through the first eight games of the season. She ranks second in the SEC in total saves and is third in the save percentage category.
State wrapped up non-conference play with a 1-0 victory over ULM on senior day Sunday afternoon. Following the win, Anderson spoke about what it has meant for her to be a Bulldog and announced her return as a graduate for MSU next season.
"It's meant the world to me," Anderson said. "This has been my home for four years and I'm actually staying another year so I'm super excited about that. [We're] family. I get to be with my family every single day and I get to do the thing that I love. It's amazing and I love it here."
As an experienced leader for the Bulldogs, Anderson also discussed the message to the team heading into SEC play Friday against Auburn at the MSU Soccer Field.
"Conference play [is] a new slate," Anderson said. "Let's start out with 0-0-0 [and] start out strong and just attack it full force. We're a great team when we just clam down [and] play our game and just recognize it doesn't matter what opponent we play. We just have to play our game and then we'll be good."
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Players Mentioned
GK
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