STARKVILLE — Last weekend was anything but ordinary for Mississippi State women’s soccer.
The Bulldogs opened up the season with two matches in Arizona, playing Grand Canyon and Arizona State, and the dry heat of the desert was a different experience for many Bulldogs.
That, plus 25+ mile per hour winds, thanks in part to a tropical storm system that moved through the western part of the U.S., created unique playing conditions unlike anything some players and coaches had seen before.
“I’d be lying if I said I expected the amount of wind that we had,” head coach James Armstrong said. “If you watched the film, Haley McWhirter couldn’t even take the corner kick when the wind was blowing in this direction. The dust was just flying right down the field…That was new for us. That was the windiest game that I’ve been a part of from a coaching standpoint.”
Even with rather extreme conditions, the Bulldogs (1-1-0) came out of the weekend unbeaten, taking down the Antelopes, 2-1, and earning a scoreless draw with the Sun Devils.
It was also a weekend where senior goalkeeper Maddy Anderson impressed, earning Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors after allowing one goal in two matches, making eight saves in total.
“I’ve definitely had the mindset that I lost last season from the injury,” Anderson said. “I really wanted to come in strong and just give it everything I got…I’m not too focused on outside factors, but it gives me confidence knowing that my game is good.”
The rest of the squad looks good, too, as the Bulldogs have been quite active on the offensive side of the ball so far.
A controversial offside call kept Mississippi State off the scoresheet against Arizona State, but the Bulldogs dominated every facet of that game, not allowing a shot on goal until the second half.
They out-shot the Sun Devils, 13-3 overall and 8-3 in shots on goal, out-shooting opponents 25-17 overall to begin the 2023 season.
The newcomers on the roster, a combination of a strong freshman signing class and deep transfer class, have progressed well, too.
“They’ve looked awesome since they got here,” Armstrong said. “… A lot of really good minutes and performances by players that we’re obviously excited about.”
Those performances have Mississippi State fans excited for Thursday night’s regular season home opener against Northwestern State.
It’s the Bulldogs’ first competitive home match since their first-round NCAA Tournament win over New Mexico St. on Nov. 11, the first in program history.
An early-August scrimmage against Kennesaw State set the tone for what the atmosphere at MSU Soccer Field will be like this season.
“The crowd that we have been getting for games makes such a massive difference,” Armstrong said. “It’s a soccer crowd. It’s loud. It’s energetic. That positive energy from the crowd transcends onto the field for us…The excitement level is through the roof for us. Now, we just have to make sure we put a good product on the field for our fans to be excited about.”
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