Sweet Goal Leads To The Sweet 16

STARKVILLE – As the sun set over the MSU Soccer Field on Friday night, the lights brightened and the largest crowd in program history comprised of 4,022 members of the Bulldog faithful rushed to find the best seat in the house.

When the Mississippi State soccer club exited the clubhouse and stepped on the pitch for warmups, the chilly night in Starkville, Mississippi, was filled with exuberant electricity. Both the Bulldogs and the Washington Huskies were geared up to leave everything they had on the field for the opportunity to advance in the NCAA Tournament.

With 18:17 left on the clock in the contest, via a feed from senior midfielder Hannah Johnson, State sophomore center forward Zoe Main flashed like a lightning bolt to maneuver around defenders and zip the ball into the back of the net for the first goal of the physical outing underneath the Mississippi stars. It proved to be the only goal the Bulldogs needed to secure a 1-0 win and a berth in the Sweet 16 for a second straight year.

"When I looked back and saw all the space, I knew if Hannah played it, it was going to be all up to me to pass it in," Main said. "But when it went in, it was so exciting and such a great moment with all the fans and everything. I couldn't have done it without them."

The Missouri City, Texas, native is no stranger to securing incredibly clutch goals for her team. Main is the most current State player to score multiple goals in an outing when the talented sophomore secured two against Ole Miss in the Magnolia Cup back in October.

Before she put on the Maroon and White kit, Main was one of the best players in Texas during her high school career. As a senior at Ridge Point High School, Main led her club to a regional championship in 2022 and a 6A State semifinals appearance. She was also selected as the District 6A Most Valuable Player and named to the 6A First Team All-State squad.

Main became a Bulldog as a freshman in 2023 and wasted no time making an impact for State on the pitch. In just her third collegiate appearance, Main scored her first career goal against South Alabama on Sept. 7, 2023.

Making waves and attacking using her speed and agility has become a norm as the star forward continues to hone her craft and become a vital component of MSU's success.

"All credit to Zoe, with an unbelievably composed finish, which at the end of the day was the difference," head coach James Armstrong said.

Main's sweet goal put the Maroon icing on the cake for the Bulldogs, as the team now gets set for the round of 16 against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who defeated the Kentucky Wildcats before State's win over the Huskies. Main insists her heroics to help MSU get to such a spot are in large part a credit to the Bulldog fans clanging cowbells and supporting her team.

"The fans bring us up when we're down and they bring us up when we're up," Main said. "They're incredible and their support means everything. They're always ringing their bells and it was just an unreal feeling."

An incredible crowd plus an outstanding performance from Main equaled an unforgettable evening for the MSU soccer club on Friday night.

But it all now circles back to the one-game-at-a-time mentality for the Bulldogs as they prepare to host the Sweet 16 for the first time in Starkville against the Fighting Irish on Sunday at 5 p.m. CT at the MSU Soccer Field.

"Being here is really great for us because we get to sleep in our own beds and we have our cryo [therapy] and everything we get to have here," Main said. "Utilizing all of our resources will be really big for us."

Mississippi State University Athletics

Sweet Goal Leads To The Sweet 16

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