STARKVILLE — Forward Maggie Wadsworth, coming off a high school soccer career that earned her player of the year and all-American honors, decided to enroll early at Mississippi State this spring before her true freshman year began this fall.
She was one of a few Bulldogs to join the team during the spring semester. For the Flowery Branch, Georgia, native, the decision was far from a bad one.
Enrolling early gives incoming freshmen more of an opportunity to get a lay of the land and, in most cases, gets them acquainted with their sport — getting in practices, scrimmages, weight room sessions and more.
For Wadsworth, it all paid off.
“She came in early, so to get that spring under her belt in the weight room, training sessions with us and playing in a few spring games, that’s really helped,” head coach James Armstrong said. “Spring is a time that you can focus on development, and usually, you can see a quicker rate of success with the early enrollees.”
Quicker rate of success is an understatement for the new two-time Southeastern Conference freshman of the week and current team leader in goals for Mississippi State through 12 matches.
Wadsworth has seven goals to her name this season, three more than her next-closest teammate, and is third in the SEC in goals scored this season.
She also leads all SEC freshmen in goals by a comfortable margin.
Wadsworth was able to appear in three spring games for the Bulldogs and went through the gauntlet of training during the spring fully prepared for what was to come in the summer and preseason leading up to this year.
The question with her was not if she could score, but if she could match the intensity of what a season in the SEC would be. She hasn’t just answered the bell but has been the first one to ring it as one of the leaders of this MSU attack.
“It’s pretty incredible that I’ve been able to have as much of an impact as I’ve had so far,” Wadsworth said. “It’s been a really amazing experience. I don’t really have many words for it right now still. It’s just been super fun.”
Knowing the personalities of this team, something that has been the key to success for the Bulldogs, Wadsworth fits perfectly into the locker room.
This year’s freshman class has brought such a jolt of energy into the program, something that’s brought with it positive vibes and winning vibes.
Toward the top of that list is Wadsworth, who exudes as much personality off the field as she does on the field but often lets her game speak for itself.
It’s helped contribute to better team chemistry, especially amongst the attacking group of the team.
“Our chemistry has gotten a lot better throughout the season, which definitely helps out a lot on the field,” Wadsworth said. “We come out here every day and we work super hard, and it’s really been paying off for us.”
While a fun personality to be around, Wadsworth — much like MSU this season — has been humble and has not let any game get too big for her.
As she’s matured into the program and matured into the college game, her success, while originally catching people by surprise, is no surprise anymore.
With Mississippi State ranked in all but one poll heading into Thursday night’s match against South Carolina, the Bulldogs as a whole are no surprise either, but that added attention has made them and Wadsworth work harder to become better.
“Maggie is no longer a surprise to anyone,” Armstrong said. “SEC play provides a catalog of games where you can watch every single game. Scouting reports have paid close attention to Maggie, where some of the nonconference opponents didn’t, but she knows that, she’s been ready for that, and she’s excited about it.”
Wadsworth currently ranks fourth in program history in most goals in a single season scored by a freshman, needing just one more to get in a tie for third and two for sole possession of third.
Cracking the top 10 for most goals in a single season is still well within reach — Wadsworth needs five more to get to 12 — so expect to see her often on the scoring end of chances as the season draws to a close.
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