As soon as Mississippi University for Women women’s soccer players heard the first word of their school’s name, they let out a cheer that drowned out the final three.
“We heard ‘Mississippi,’ and we knew it was us,” forward Mariah Beckom said.
The Owls had dreamed of it, but only then could they be sure: They were getting a shot at another national championship.
Beckom, a Columbus High graduate, was part of the party that assembled in the event room at Zachary’s restaurant to watch MUW officially earn its spot in the USCAA Division I women’s championships.
The Owls (8-6-1) were the third of four at-large teams to qualify for the tournament, which begins next week in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
“They’ve worked hard all year, and for them to get this is huge,” MUW coach Catie Lyles said.
The W made its return to USCAA championships for the first time since 2019, when it went winless in two matches in Virginia Beach. The Owls went just 2-11 in 2020 and 6-10 the next year.
But Lyles — now in her third season at the helm — has gotten the program back where she knew it could be.
“When I first got here three years ago, I realized it had to be a culture change,” she said. “We did that. We started working on that three years ago, and now we have the players in here who believe in what we’re trying to do and are all on board.”
Those players include midfielder Lizzie Truelock, who is ranked seventh nationally in the USCAA with 10 goals this season.
The Caledonia High School graduate said finding out her team had earned a top-four spot was “overwhelming.”
“I’m glad that our hard work is paying off, especially in our last year to leave an impact on the team,” Truelock said.
She remembers the pain of the trip three years ago, when she was a freshman. The event then featured six teams, but one dropped out at the last minute, leaving the Owls to play the same opponent two days in a row.
MUW played to a 1-1 draw with Maine–Fort Kent after two overtimes in the first match. Needing to beat the Bengals the next morning to advance, the Owls fell 3-2 instead. UMFK scored the winner on a corner kick that knuckled into the goal thanks to windy conditions, sending The W home.
“I don’t feel that the score reflected the game very well, and I hope that we have the opportunity to turn the tables,” Truelock said.
The Owls just might.
Maine–Fort Kent, which went on to win the 2019 title, is the No. 1 seed in this year’s tournament. Should third-seeded MUW beat Bryant & Stratton Syracuse in its opener at 9 a.m. Nov. 11, the Owls would have another date with the Bengals at 12:30 p.m. Nov. 13.
It would be a match for which Truelock and those who remain from the 2019 squad have waited a while.
“I’ve kind of held a grudge for three years, so I’m happy to play them again and see if we can come out victorious,” Truelock said.
MUW is happy to even have the chance.
Although Lyles said the Owls themselves never doubted they would have a spot in the top four — even after four straight losses from Sept. 14 to Oct. 4 — there was still anxiety lingering in the air Tuesday afternoon.
“I was very nervous,” Beckom said. “I’m not going to lie — I was pretty nervous, but I was more excited at the same time because I felt like we were in. It was excitement and nervousness at the same time.”
Ultimately, though, everything went off without a hitch. Defender Savannah Cooper climbed up on a table to attach the HDMI cord, Lyles logged into the Zoom meeting, and the Owls waited barely three minutes to hear their names called.
“It feels amazing,” Beckom said. “It’s almost indescribable, especially with me being a senior and this being my senior season. This is how we go out with a bang. I’m overwhelmed with joy right now.”
The team will fly to Virginia next week — the announcement of the mode of transportation was met by another round of cheers — with championship hopes.
Asked her expectations for the event, Lyles had only one.
“We’re expecting to win,” she said. “That’s the plan, and that’s what they’ve been told since the start — if we got a bid that we were going to win.”
Now, the Owls have earned their spot.
With it is an opportunity to do what MUW women’s soccer has never done: win a national title.
“I feel like we have the chance to go do what we have to do to bring home what we want to bring home,” Beckom said. “So let’s go!”
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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