OXFORD, Miss. – The Mississippi State University soccer program is bringing the Magnolia Cup back to Starkville for the fifth consecutive year after defeating Ole Miss 2-0 on Friday night at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium.

Under a full moon and chilly weather in Oxford, the Bulldogs hit the pitch for the 31st contest against their in-state rivals.

As the match kicked off, MSU forward Zoe Main wasted no time netting the first goal to put her squad ahead of the Rebels in the first minute of the battle for the Magnolia Cup.

“It was so big for us because the five-pear has never happened, so our big mission was to take it game by game,” Main said following her two-goal performance.

Throughout the remaining minutes of the first half, both squads brought their own respective physical and gritty play to the pitch. The Rebels and Bulldogs traded possessions, shots and corner kicks under the bright lights.

Though the majority of the stands were filled with the red, blue and navy of Ole Miss, a plethora of the Bulldog faithful showed up to display their support for the maroon and white in the rivalry matchup.

As locked in as the fans were in the stands, both teams were laser-focused on bringing the cup home, recording seven fouls in the first half alone.

Needless to say, everyone in attendance Friday night knew what was at stake. It was much more than a conference win on the road; in-state supremacy for the year was on the line.

That grittiness carried over from the first half, as the Rebels and Bulldogs clamored for possession of the ball. MSU’s defense continued its dominant play – it’s become their identity this season – not allowing Ole Miss attackers to advance beyond the midfield mark in the first eight minutes of the second half.

When it mattered the most, the Bulldogs did what this year’s squad has continued to do each week.

They captured the Magnolia Cup and are bringing it back to Starkville, where it has resided for the last five years.

“We said it was going to be a dog fight,” head coach James Armstrong said. “There’s a lot of moments in the game where there were a lot of tackles flying, 50-50s and all sorts of stuff, but that’s what rivalry games are all about. The players knew we were prepared for it but it’s different when you are actually in the moment in front of the fans.”

The win over the Rebels marks MSU’s 12th shutout of the year and the Bulldogs remain undefeated in conference play.

No words can describe the importance of this match each year. It means more to the players, the coaches and the fans that fill the stands at both respective campuses.

“Neither program has won it five times in a row so credit to all the players and staff,” Armstrong said. “They did an unbelievable job preparing for a good Ole Miss team today. It was a bloodbath out there from the first second to the last second.”

Next up, MSU will return to Starkville to face the Kentucky Wildcats on Thursday. The conference matchup against the Wildcats is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. CT at the MSU Soccer Field.