This time, Mississippi State’s lead held up — and the Bulldogs earned a historic victory in the process.
Aitana Martinez-Montoya’s 19th-minute goal was backed up by an outstanding defensive effort Thursday, and MSU defeated Florida 1-0 to pick up the program’s first-ever win in Gainesville. The Bulldogs were previously 0-10 all-time at the Gators’ Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
Iliana Izquierdo got on the end of a long ball in the attacking third and sent a perfect cross to the edge of the 6-yard box, where Martinez-Montoya slid forward to slot her shot past Florida goalkeeper Alexa Goldberg.
Martinez-Montoya, a native of Spain who transferred from Fairleigh Dickinson, now leads MSU (7-3-3, 2-2-1 Southeastern Conference) with four goals. Izquierdo, a Colombian and a transfer from Southern Miss, tallied her first assist of the season.
The Bulldogs only got off six shots all evening, with Martinez-Montoya responsible for four of them. Her goal was the only shot MSU put on target, but the Bulldogs’ defense was even more airtight, as the Gators (5-4-3, 1-3-1) managed just three shots. MSU goalkeeper Maddy Anderson needed to make just one save to record her fifth shutout of the year.
It was a much-needed victory for the Bulldogs, who had squandered second-half leads in their previous two games. LSU scored twice in the final 30 minutes to hand MSU a 2-1 loss on Sept. 24, and on Sept. 29, the Bulldogs conceded three times in the last 20 minutes against Tennessee to turn a seemingly certain win into a deflating draw.
Head coach James Armstrong’s team is back home Sunday at 6 p.m. to take on rival Ole Miss with the Magnolia Cup on the line. The Bulldogs have won their last three meetings with the Rebels heading into Sunday’s showdown, which will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 42 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.