Senior Night Magic

STARKVILLE – The lightning that struck near the MSU Soccer Field causing a weather delay to open the second half of Thursday night's match against Tennessee Tech was not the only thing that electrified the pitch on Mississippi State's senior night.

With her teammates looking on and the Maroon and White faithful anxiously waiting to erupt, Aitana Martinez-Montoya drilled the ball into the back of the net to secure the integral goal that secured the Bulldogs a 1-0 victory over the Golden Eagles.

"[Hannah Johnson] got the ball and she [told] me the goalkeeper was a little bit shifted to her left," Martinez-Montoya said. "I was like, okay first time, if I take a test, she's going to have enough time to make a save. I just went for it, and it worked really well."

The talented forward from Madrid, Spain, leads the Bulldogs in goals with 29 tallied in her collegiate career. With the game-winning goal on senior night, Martinez-Montoya secured her spot as the only player on the roster to have multiple goals this season.

But the goal in Thursday night's contest meant much more to Martinez-Montoya.

"It was very special to me," Martinez-Montoya said. "As long as I can help the team, [it] doesn't matter if it's [necessarily] a goal, but [it was] very special. I did it for my class. My mom came all the way here from Spain, so that meant a lot to me."

Just as important as her contributions on the pitch, Martinez-Montoya has become one of the most respected leaders in the program's history. Her personality lights up a room and is a welcome sight to newcomers and veterans in the locker room.

The leadership qualities that Martinez-Montoya displays every day inside the locker room, in the classroom and on the pitch has left a long-lasting impression on every member of State's soccer program.

"She's only been here just over a year, but she's made a huge mark on this program," head coach James Armstrong said. "She's a person that everybody can talk to. She's bubbly, she's energetic, she's got a great sense of humor – usually against me most of the time – but obviously she scored some huge goals for us both last year and this year. She's someone that's always alert in the box. She can finish all different types of goals. Today's [goal] was another example of her being in the right place at the right time."

Her playful banter with Armstrong signifies the strong bond that Martinez-Montoya and her head coach have made during her time with the program.

"We love each other but we have a very similar sense of humor," Martinez-Montoya said laughingly. "Whenever he's trying to be mean, I'm mean back so he doesn't take that really well. I'm really grateful for him and I love him. He dishes out but [sometimes] he can't take it. Sometimes I have him speechless."

Before the match commenced, the senior night festivities kicked off in an expectedly emotional fashion. The video board displayed this year's senior class leaving a message on the phone as if they were speaking to the freshman version of themselves. Most players understandingly could not contain their emotions when speaking to their younger versions about everything they have accomplished here in Starkville.

The passion for the program flowed from the seniors as they walked across the field to their respective families and friends awaiting them in celebration of all their accomplishments during their time at MSU.

At the front of the pack greeting everyone with a loving embrace was Armstrong. For the sixth-year head coach, this group of seniors has done exactly what was asked of them. They all left the jersey better than they found it.

"[It was] a very emotional day. We came here five years ago, and a lot of these girls have been with us for a long time and made a massive impact on this program," Armstrong said. "[They've] changed the perception on a national scale and broken so many records both in terms of NCAA Tournament and SEC play. You name it, they've been great. We challenge them to leave the jersey better than they found it and every single one of them has done that tenfold. There's no amount of words that we can say to thank them [enough] for what they've done for this program."

Mississippi State University Athletics

Related News

Players Mentioned

Hannah Johnson

Aitana Martinez-Montoya

Related Videos