Soccer Uses Strong Second Half To Down Alabama 3-2
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mallory Eubanks, Shelby Jordan and Hannah Smith scored as Mississippi State held on for a 3-2 win against Alabama at the MSU Soccer Field Tuesday night.
Eubanks also added the winning assist on Jordan’s decisive goal.
“All the new players that joined the team in January contributed tonight. That’s why you see players graduate early so they can come in, get used to the college game and contribute,” Aaron Gordon said. “We’ve worked hard in practice so we can get better, and the standards we have set in practice are paying off. It was a good night for us.”
The Bulldogs had the best of the play in the opening half, but the teams went to intermission tied at one goal each.
Eubanks struck first for the Bulldogs, scoring with 33:17 left. Newcomer Kennadi Carbin made a nice move around her defender and centered a pass to Eubanks for a shot that deflected off an Alabama defender and into the top of the net.
Alabama scored the equalizer with eight seconds left in the half, knocking in an empty netter following a misplayed free kick by Bulldog goalie Tanya de Souza.
The Bulldogs came out pressing the attack in the second half, just missing a pair of opportunities before Smith put the Bulldogs up 2-1 by depositing a loose ball off an Ariana Holmes throw in.
Jordan staked the Bulldogs to a 3-1 advantage with 30 minutes left as she took a Eubanks cross and powered the shot low past the Alabama keeper.
Jordan nearly had a second goal with 20 minutes left. She once again found herself on the end of a Eubanks pass, but her shot toward the far corner was tipped away by Alabama keeper Kat Stratton.
Alabama cut the MSU lead to 3-2 with 10:50 to go on a cross that landed between a pair of Bulldogs and was put in at the near post.
State had an opportunity for a two-goal advantage headed off the line in the final minutes. Stratton mishandled the Bulldogs’ eighth corner kick, but the ensuing shot was headed away from the net by an Alabama defender.
Alabama had one last equalizing opportunity off a corner kick, but the shot sailed wide and the Bulldogs held on for the victory.