AUSTIN – Mississippi State soccer stayed hot in SEC play with a 3-0 win at Texas on Thursday, dominating the Longhorns in the second half to stay perfect in conference play. Ally Perry struck again from distance for the Bulldogs, and true freshman and Texas native Laila Murillo added a brace of goals from midfield to seal the deal.
“We’re a new team, so this is huge for us,” Murillo said after the game. “Coming off of Tennessee, this was another way to prove to ourselves that what we’ve been working on, everything we’ve trained for, results are coming into play.” I love getting to grow with this team and getting to build these connections and everything, and just getting to succeed together as a team.”
The Bulldogs, now 7-1, will return to Starkville for a highly anticipated match against Auburn on Sunday.
The first half ended in a level draw at 0-0, and while there were no clear chances to show for it, it was the Bulldogs who had the upper hand for much of the frame. Ally Perry nearly connected from distance on a bending left-footed shot from the edge of the box, but had to watch the effort land on the top of the net.
The second half began with the same enterprising play from MSU, only this time the team and Perry were rewarded.
The captain received the ball centrally about 20 yards out from goal, cut away from her favored left foot onto her right, and fired a powerful shot into the roof of the net. The bend on the ball was likely as confusing for the Texas goalkeeper to read as the sight of Perry using her right foot, but it showed her versatility as well as the confidence that two goals against Tennessee gave her last week.
The Bulldogs continued getting forward and capitalized on the newfound momentum, adding two goals from Murillo from nearly the same position in the center of the box. The first effort came on a cutback pass from the right wing while the final goal came from the left.
For a team where half of the players are underclassmen, the Bulldogs continue to show plenty of mettle in big games. This was the team’s second victory in a true road game, and came at the home of the 2024 SEC Tournament champions.
“This team has a bright future,” Murillo said. “Everything we work for, we train together, we train hard, but everything we do is just us. That’s something that we’re very passionate about, working together and it’s way beyond soccer. This is more of our compatibility with one another.”
MSU will face Auburn at 6 p.m. on Sunday in Starkville.
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