STARKVILLE — Mississippi State’s Friday night match against Tennessee was flawless for the first 73 minutes of play.
In that span, the Bulldogs built up a 3-0 lead, including two goals from junior Hannah Johnson, surpassing her previous career-high in single-season goals with her second and third of the season.
“She’s always had it,” Mississippi State head coach James Armstrong said. “I just think she’s been a little bit unlucky in the past. She hasn’t been able to have a run of games in her freshman and sophomore years, but knock on wood so far. She’s had a good offseason. She looks fitter, she looks faster and the soccer side of it has shown up with it.”
However, those final 17 minutes spelled disaster for the Bulldogs, conceding three goals as the Volunteers escaped Starkville with a point, a match Mississippi State would like to have back.
This week in practice has been a focused one in response to Friday’s result, showcasing a motivated bunch who’s ready to get positive results this week, starting Thursday night in Gainesville against Florida.
“The girls were disappointed, and that’s a good thing,” Armstrong said. “They were hungry. We had a great film session on Saturday. The energy was good. There wasn’t anyone feeling sorry for themselves or anyone moping around. It was ‘Hey, we played a good game, but we need to close out games more.’”
In a script similar to the Bulldogs’ matches over the past two weeks, simple mistakes and poor positioning on the field ended up costing Mississippi State (6-3-3) against Tennessee.
Armstrong pointed toward the team falling back more on defense, allowing the Volunteers to get more pressure in the box and as a result, more chances on net and more goals scored.
Against a loaded Southeastern Conference, those corrections need to be made sooner rather than later because the number of matches left in the regular season continue to dwindle.
“We feel we know what to do offensively,” Armstrong said. “We feel we know what to do defensively. We train the situational aspects of the game. Now, it’s ‘Can we get a little bit of luck, can we get some calls our way?’ and then having it where the girls have that togetherness to get through uncomfortable moments in games.”
This week will end with an emotionally-charged match, the battle for the Magnolia Cup against Ole Miss in Starkville, but before Sunday night, the Bulldogs are focused solely on their upcoming match against Florida.
“It’s all there to fight for and the girls are excited,” Armstrong said. “Now, it’s just a matter of executing in games and being the best version of ourselves.”
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