STARKVILLE — Niah Johnson is making things difficult for the Mississippi State women’s soccer coaches.
At 5-foot-5, the midfielder from Rowlett, Texas, isn’t the team’s biggest player. As one of 13 freshmen, she also is far from the team’s most experienced player.
But what Johnson lacks in size and experience she more than makes up for in desire and an attitude to affect a change.
Since the game against Central Arkansas on Aug. 30, Johnson has played in more minutes each of the last five games, including 51 against then-No. 9 Auburn, 60 against then-No. 13 South Carolina, and 75 against then-No. 19 Tennessee.
“In the last two games, she has been one of our best players,” MSU coach Tom Anagnost said. “It has been a struggle to take her off the field. We need her to do the same Friday.”
Johnson will look to extend that streak at 7 p.m. Friday (SEC Network+) when MSU plays host to Florida at the MSU Soccer Field.
Florida, which was picked first in the Southeastern Conference preseason coaches poll, comes in at 4-6-1 and 2-1 in the league. Florida is one of six SEC teams tied with six points. The top 10 teams qualify for the league tournament Oct. 29-Nov. 4 in Orange Beach, Alabama.
MSU (8-2, 1-2) made history earlier this week when it earned a No. 19 ranking in the TopDrawerSoccer poll, its first national ranking in program history. The Bulldogs also were ranked No. 3 in the NCAA’s Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), which gauges the strength of squads when it comes to pick at-large teams for the NCAA tournament. MSU hopes this is the year it gets back to the SEC tournament for the first time since 2004 and it advances to its first NCAA tournament.
Johnson is doing her part to help MSU accomplish those goals. She has three goals (six points) and is averaging a little more than 45 minutes a match for the season.
“Since the spring, the main thin is making sure I am that combative player,” Johnson said. “I am working on it day by day.”
Johnson said she was more laid back prior to realizing she had to change her ways. She said she has used the example of teammates Carly Mauldin and AK Ward in an effort to change her game. She said Mauldin has impressed her with her “combative” style of play, while Ward is so skillful that she has tried to emulate her accuracy passing the ball.
Anagnost said Johnson ability to play like that has been infectious. He said she now has a greater understanding that she has to try to win every ball and not accept it if she doesn’t win one and tries to get the next one.
“She always has been a talented player and person,” Anagnost said. “But that doesn’t equate to impacting games. The last two games, for sure, she has been impactful and she has changed the game and made us better. I hope she continues to ascend.
Anagnost said Johnson has helped connect her teammates. He also said she has defended well and been winning balls, which are qualities that have helped her stand out. He said he hopes she continues to develop into a player who makes an impact all over the field.
Johnson made her presence felt in a 2-1 overtime victory against then-No. 13 South Carolina on Sept. 20 in Starkville. Johnson stepped forward and converted a penalty kick in the second half to tie the match at 1. The goal set the stage for Zakirah McGillivary’s game-winning goal that secured one of the program’s biggest victories.
Johnson isn’t versed on the history of the MSU women’s soccer program. Instead, Johnson and her classmates are focused on creating some history thanks to their willingness to grind it out and to maintain pressure on opponents. Johnson said it took her time to realize that is how she had to play if she wanted to be on the field as much as possible. Now that she has reaped the benefits of that style of play, she said she doesn’t intend to stop.
“Seeing my teammates give it their all on every tackle made me realize I wanted to be out there with them playing my hardest,” Johnson said. “It was after the Wisconsin game. After that my minutes went down and I had to reflect on what I was doing to get better at it. I saw AK winning every tackle and Carly winning every tackle. If I wanted to play in the middle, I had to go in and make a difference. That was my main thing going into the SEC games.”
Anagnost likes what he has seen from Johnson and hopes she continues to transform into a more assertive player.
“If she turns into that, she is going to be unbelievable,” Anagnost said.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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