Mississippi State soccer saved one of its best performances for the SEC Tournament, taking down regular-season conference champions Arkansas in Florida to book a place in the semi-finals.
The Bulldogs (12-5-1) had to come from behind after conceding first, but answered after just 30 seconds with a scorcher from Rebeka Vega-Peleka.
Ally Perry got in on the scoring in the second half, tallying her eighth strike of the season with a long-range hit from a similar position as Vega-Peleka outside of the box.
It was one worthy of addition into an already impressive catalog of Perry goals, and one which Perry said might mean the most to her this season. Ahead of the tournament, her focus was on extending her senior season to as many games as possible, and she did just that on Tuesday.
“The first half, I was getting opportunities, the coaches kept telling me to shoot, so I got the touch out wide and ripped it,” Perry said of the winning goal. “I got so close in the first half, I was like one is bound to be a good one.”
The Bulldogs outshot the Razorbacks 23-16, with two more shots on target than their conference foes. The possession was more balanced, but Zimmerman’s side did well to disrupt attacks and hold onto the ball to reset their own spells with the ball.
The team’s energy was apparent from early on, and the determination to get back in the game after conceding early paid off quickly.
For Perry, that was a reflection of the team and culture she’s helped evolve into one of the best in the SEC. A difficult finish to the regular season didn’t deter them, and now they’re two wins away from a conference title as the first No. 8 seed to reach the semis since 2018.
“The grit that everyone has, we have each other’s backs. This is a family,” Perry said. “We do everything for each other, and the whole game was just who wants it more, especially the last 25 minutes. That’s when you see who your teammates are, they cover for you, they track back for you, and we’re a very gritty team when it comes to that, and that’s what makes us stand out.”
That effort and grit were particularly evident in the defensive performance. The structure and composure at the back were the foundation for the team’s ability to hold fast, get the ball forward, and build toward the opponent’s goal.
The MSU back line has allowed just two goals in four games since a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Vanderbilt, and showed up again on Tuesday. Goalkeeper Jenny Harrison made four saves, including a stunning stop on a late free kick by the Razorbacks, and defenders Naila Schoefberger and Hannah Jibril both made clearances in key moments as the Bulldogs faced nine corners and came away unscathed.
“Tonight they did so well, in the build, defensively… they’re the reason we had half our success with our build,” Perry said. “All credit to them. I’m really proud of them. This is something we’ve been in a bit of a slump with for a while. Seeing them get in a rhythm is amazing, it makes such a difference, as you can see in the past two games.”
The Bulldogs will face LSU at 4:30 p.m. today. The game will be televised on SEC Network.
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