STARKVILLE — Fresh off a Sweet Sixteen run last season, the Bulldogs enter the 2024 season ranked No. 18 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll, showing just how much the program has grown in the last few years under head coach James Armstrong and his staff.
The program has experienced unprecedented success over the last two years and last season finished with a 12-6-5 record, good for fourth in the Southeastern Conference standings. In postseason play, the Bulldogs advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament and earned a bid to the NCAA tournament, where they fell, 1-0, to eventual finalists Stanford in the Sweet Sixteen
MSU is one of seven other SEC schools appearing in the preseason poll, ranked behind No. 14 Georgia, No. 16 Arkansas and No. 17 Texas, and ranked ahead of No. 20 Alabama, No. 21 South Carolina and No. 25 Texas A&M. The Bulldogs have to play five of those teams in conference play, starting with a visit from new conference members Texas on Sept. 22.
MSU’s first exhibition game took place last week, a 3-1 win at Kennesaw State. Their second and final exhibition will be a home match against UL Monroe at 6:30 p.m. Friday. The season opens a week later with a home match against Baylor at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 15.
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