STARKVILLE — Mississippi State soccer was set to kick off a week ago before a lightning storm delayed and eventually cancelled the scheduled opener against UT Martin.
The Bulldogs moved quickly to schedule another exhibition, but the team is ready to get rolling with the games that count.
“We were all disappointed, players and staff, to not play the game,” first-year head coach Nick Zimmerman said. “We did everything we could, UT Martin wanted to play, but sometimes Mother Nature has other plans. We were intentional with the two days that we had, Friday and Saturday, leading into the exhibition against Union. It was business as usual, a great opportunity for us to show the girls some adversity.”
The Bulldogs thrashed NCAA Division II side Union College 9-0 on Sunday, showcasing the attacking potential from a forward group that boasts plenty of experience and prolific production. Ally Perry returns after leading the Bulldogs in goalscoring last year, and helped to pull the strings behind strikers Kyra Taylor and Zoe Main.
Alongside Perry was a new face showing plenty of talent in true freshman Adia Symmonds.
The early enrollee spent the spring semester getting to know her new teammates, and the work has paid off early with some prolific exhibition outings. While she and the rest of the team had hoped to be 1-0 by now, the extra time on the training pitch was put to good use.
“Even the extra days we got for practice have allowed us to continue and grow our relationships,” Symmonds said. “I mean, the spring was really good for me because I got to build this relationship with Zoe and Ally, and Kyra coming in now, the entire work that we’ve been doing this preseason has been building relationships with each other. You can see it on the field when we’re able to connect with and know where each other are.”
The exhibition outings have further proven that Zimmerman is looking to build off of the identity that was established over the past six years, with the help of Zimmerman, under former head coach James Armstrong. The team values possession and maintaining the ability to dictate the tempo of the game. Though the team has also shown a willingness to strike quickly with balls in behind, the identity of the team remains its solidity in retaining possession and defending aggressively.
“I think it’s always the what-if moment, if we lose possession or if someone slips, if we maybe don’t make the best decision,” Zimmerman said, explaining the thought behind his team’s rest defense. “What comes next in the what-if moment? The rest defense is a part of that. Are we doing the things off the ball, but are we staying engaged and locked in to be in a position where we’re going to try and continue to win the ball as close to the other goal as possible and put ourselves in a position to get the ball and do what we love, which is to have it and enjoy it.”
Zimmerman expressed his thanks to the Union program for coming out on Sunday and allowing his team another opportunity to build on its current setup, as well as register invaluable minutes for the starters as they prepare to take on some talented nonconference programs.
Jacksonville State arrives after two hard-fought games against West Georgia and North Alabama, and they’ll be followed by a visit from last year’s national finalists, Wake Forest, at the MSU Soccer Field on Sunday. He’s hoping for a good turnout for both occasions as the Bulldogs finally get rolling in matches that matter.
“We’re excited about getting out,” he said. “A huge thank you to all the fans that braved the weather on Thursday night as we kept delaying it. We’re excited. We’re hopeful that we have a big crowd, so everyone needs to come out and be loud.”
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