STARKVILLE — Much was made of Mississippi State women’s soccer’s non-conference schedule for the 2023 season, especially through the first six matches.
The Bulldogs’ recent success – reaching the Round of 32 in the 2022 NCAA tournament – coupled with a continued emphasis on playing quality opposition, has resulted in probably the best overall schedule that the program has ever played.
Through its first four matches, Mississippi State has played the likes of Grand Canyon, Arizona State and FIU, all potential postseason contenders for 2023, and have emerged with a 3-0-1 record.
“Looking at what the teams have done since they played us, they’re all doing really well,” head coach James Armstrong said. “It’s always hard when you schedule so far out knowing how strong they’ll actually be, but for us, every team that we’ve played has actually been stronger than what we’ve expected.”
The most recent of those opponents was FIU, a team that came in as one of the five best scoring teams in the country, with 17 goals scored and none conceded.
Controlling not just a red-hot offensive team but the nation’s top scorer in Nikole Solis was no easy task, but the Bulldogs made it look easy in a 2-0 shutout win.
Solis was held without a shot, and junior transfer Ilana Izquierdo bagged her first two goals as a Bulldog.
“From a tactical understanding of the game on both sides of the ball, she’s phenomenal,” Armstrong said. “She’s not the biggest, but she has the biggest heart, she can cover the most amount of ground and she understands how to play her game and not get drawn into playing someone else’s game.”
An influx of youth and transfer talent has bolstered the Bulldogs thus far, with just two of the team’s seven goals this season coming from returning players.
New energy plus experience from those returning has been the key to success for Mississippi State, but Thursday night presents arguably the toughest challenge of the non-conference slate in Iowa.
The Hawkeyes, much like the rest of the Big Ten, play a physical style of soccer that favors what’s to come in their conference schedule, and it’s something that the Bulldogs are preparing for once 6:30 p.m. arrives.
“First and second phase is going to be huge,” Armstrong said. “Set pieces are going to be huge. We’re putting ourselves in a situation where we can get after it in training and replicate it as best we can, but we know we’re going to have to earn the right to play. … If we’re not ready for the physical confrontation, then, it’s going to be a lot.”
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