#StateToTheLeague Update: Multiple Bulldogs On The Move

STARKVILLE – There are now 10 former Mississippi State soccer players active in the professional ranks around the globe. Ruthny Mathurin signed over the weekend with Racing Power FC in Portugal's Liga BPI where she will join former Bulldog teammate Aitana Martinez-Montoya for the upcoming season.

A full breakdown of professional Bulldogs and their recent news is below.

Macey Hodge – Angel City FC – NWSL (United States)

Hodge has played in 13 matches, making eight starts for Angel City. She scored her first career goal in her fourth match after playing five seasons of college soccer without finding the back of the net. The hard-nosed midfielder has carried her defensive prowess into the NWSL, making 14 tackles. Angel City is currently 6-8-5 and sits 10th in the table. The squad has seven matches remaining, and the regular season will conclude on Nov. 2.

Hannah Johnson – Lexington SC – USL Super League (United States)

Johnson started her professional career alongside Hodge at Angel City but played just one match for the squad. With 29 career professional minutes under her belt, she signed this summer with Lexington Sporting Club in the USL Super League. Johnson made her debut with the club on Aug. 23 and has played all but three minutes of the club's season after she was carded in both the 84th and 87th minutes of the team's last match. Johnson has completed 87.5 percent of her passes, which leads the team, and has completed 92.5 percent of passes in her own half. Lexington is currently 1-0-1.

Ilana Izquierdo – Atletico San Luis – Liga MX Femenil (Mexico)

Despite missing the club's first five matches while she played with the Colombian national team at the Copa America, Izquierdo has not missed a beat since suiting up for Atletico San Luis. She has started all five matches since she returned from international duty and has played every minute. Izquierdo has recorded an assist as Atletico has gotten off to a 5-2-3 start, which has them sixth in the table.

Rylie Combs – Eskilstuna United – Elitettan (Sweden)

Combs and Eskilstuna United are gearing up for the final stretch of the Elitettan season. The squad sits at the top of the table with a 13-1-3 record after dispatching Elfsborg over the weekend, 1-0, to climb into a tie for first in the league. Combs has played in 11 matches, scoring once and picking up two yellow cards.

Maddy Anderson – Racing Lens – Première Ligue (France)

Anderson also began her professional career in the NWSL, signing with Racing Louisville but not being called into action. The Bulldogs' career record holder in nearly every goalkeeping category then signed with Racing Lens in France over the summer, which had just earned promotion to the nation's top-division Première Ligue. Lens began its 2025-26 campaign on Saturday against Paris Saint-Germain, where another former Bulldog was on the pitch. Onyi Echegini, who began her collegiate career in Starkville, started for the PSG side. Anderson was available off the bench as the match finished in a 1-1 draw.

Catalina Perez – Racing Strasbourg – Première Ligue (France)

Another legendary State keeper made the move to France this summer. Perez signed with Première Ligue squad Racing Strasbourg after spending the last two seasons with Werder Bremen in Germany's top division. Perez was not selected in the starting lineup as Strasbourg also played to a draw to open the season. Strasbourg and Lens will face each other in their next match on Sept. 20.

Kennedy White – Melbourne Victory FC – A-League (Australia)

Fresh off a championship season with Gyori ETO FC in Hungary, White recently signed with Melbourne Victory in Australia's A-League. The former Bulldog was a key piece for Gyori last year as the squad went 19-1-2 with an 11-0-0 road record. White tallied 21 goals for the club, which attracted the eyes of a Melbourne squad that lost the A-League Grand Final on penalty kicks last year. Melbourne Victory will kick off its season in late October.

Aitana Martinez-Montoya – Racing Power FC – Liga BPI (Portugal)

Martinez-Montoya played in 12 matches to close out Racing Power's 2024-25 campaign. She scored twice to help the team finish with a 9-7-6 record, which left them sixth in the table. The 2025-26 Liga BPI season will begin play on Sunday, Sept. 14.

Ruthny Mathurin – Racing Power FC – Liga BPI (Portugal)

Mathurin signed her first professional contract with Racing Power over the weekend. The Haitian national team member played in 43 games on the Bulldogs' back line over two seasons in Starkville. She totaled two assists in her time at State but registered seven goals and seven assists in her freshman and sophomore seasons at Louisiana.

Gwen Mummert – FC Carl Zeiss Jena – Frauen Bundasliga (Germany)

Mummert played in 13 matches a year ago for FC Carl Zeiss Jena, making 11 starts. She averaged 79 minutes and 1.8 tackles per game. She completed 74 percent of her passes in her first season with the club after returning to her home country for the first time as a professional. The Frauen Bundasliga began this weekend, but Mummert was not in the lineup for Jena's 4-1 loss to Hoffenheim.

For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSOC."

Mississippi State University Athletics

#StateToTheLeague Update: Multiple Bulldogs On The Move

Players Mentioned

Maddy Anderson

Rylie Combs

Macey Hodge

Ilana Izquierdo

Hannah Johnson

Aitana Martinez-Montoya

Ruthny Mathurin

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