The Mississippi State soccer team got its first win of the season Friday against rival Ole Miss in Oxford.
It was the Bulldogs’ first victory in the Magnolia Cup rivalry matchup since 2012 and their first win in Oxford since 2001.
Junior Monigo Karnley scored in the 20th minute for Mississippi State (1-0-2), and the goal stood as the winning tally in the match.
“Monigo is great in tight spaces,” Mississippi State head coach James Armstrong said in a news release from the school. “She’s lethal when she’s in and around the box, and she showed it tonight in a big-time moment. Big time players step up, and she did tonight. That’s what she’s capable of doing. We were waiting for her to get her first goal of the season and what a time to get it.”
Goalkeeper Maddy Anderson posted four saves in the shutout, and she was helped by her defense, too. Junior Hailey Farrington-Bentil had two defensive saves in the second half for the Bulldogs as they kept the Rebels out of their net.
“An outstanding team performance today,” Armstrong said. “The girls overcame a lot of adversity this week and they executed the game plan. We challenged them to be mentally tough in this game and they came up time and time again. Maddy Anderson made some important saves, Macey Hodge was brilliant in midfield next to Alyssa D’Aloise. … Overall, just incredibly proud. As a coaching staff, we’re incredibly proud of the effort these girls continue to put in day-in and day-out. Today, it was their just reward for everything that they’ve done so far this season to bring the trophy back to Starkville.”
The Bulldogs haven’t lost in three Southeastern Conference matches so far after 1-1 ties with Auburn and Alabama. They have five regular-season matchups remaining, and their next one is at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, against LSU in Starkville.
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