A Memorable First Step

STARKVILLE – Two hours before the gates opened for Mississippi State soccer's first-round NCAA Tournament match against Southern last Saturday night, the amped up Maroon and White faithful gathered in full force, ready to file in to the MSU Soccer Field.

The excitement for postseason soccer filled the crisp, fall air and brought an undeniable electricity in beautiful Starkville, Mississippi. MSU's talented group of fútbol players then amplified it with their dominant 7-0 victory over Southern.

For the third consecutive year, State secured a win in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs on the pitch and in the stands made it a night to remember in every aspect of the game against the Jaguars.

"[The support] is honestly so amazing. Especially from my freshman year, to see the growth over the years, we take pride in [the fans] coming, watching us and supporting us," senior defender Rylie Combs said. "We want to bring as many people as possible. We take a lot of pride in who supports us, and we will support them right back."

MSU wasted no time applying pressure to Southern's defense as junior forward Maggie Wadsworth netted her third goal of the year to put the Bulldogs up 1-0 in the first eight minutes of the match.

From the first goal to the seventh, it was all Bulldogs. The club spread the wealth in the win, as each goal in the contest was scored by a different player.

Needless to say, the Maroon and White electrified the pitch in every aspect of the game with all eyes watching on Saturday night. One of those aspects – State's incredibly stingy defense – again displayed why it is one of the toughest and grittiest defensive units in the entire country.

State recorded its 15th shutout of the year and did not allow Southern to put up any shots in the contest.

"I think especially going off of last game, I think our whole team [knows] this is a new chapter," Combs said. "We closed [the last] one, now it's time for the NCAA Tournament and we need to kick it up a notch. We weren't very satisfied with how we ended things in the SEC Tournament, so I think from now on, we have a new kind of perspective of what we want to accomplish and [Saturday] was a very good stepping point for what we want to accomplish going forward."

For the first time in program history, the Bulldogs secured the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament headed into this year's event. As the committee announced the seeding last week, players, fans, coaches and families came out to celebrate the historic accomplishment.

It was rewarding for all involved to revel in the moment that took years of hard work and dedication to reach. However, that was not the end-all, be-all. There is more soccer to be played and aspirations to be acquired.

"Being a one-seed has been awesome because it gives us the opportunity to play at home," Armstrong said. "What we said to the girls in pregame presentation was all of the hard work that they've put in throughout the course of the season has allowed for the opportunity to play in front of our fans on our home field and control our routine, sleep in our own beds and be able to go to class. With that, though, comes responsibility. Putting on a performance like we did [on Saturday], was important."

Breaking records and making history indeed made for an incredible night out at the pitch. The Bulldogs are now laser-focused on the next task on deck and are taking it one day at a time as the next challenger – Washington – approaches Friday.

"[It is] day-by-day. I know it's a cliche, and you all have heard me say it all along, but that's important to the girls," Armstrong said. "It's important to us. Our goal is to make sure we're better than we were yesterday. If we achieve that, then we're going to continue to get better individually, collectively, and as a whole team."

Mississippi State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Rylie Combs

Maggie Wadsworth

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