STARKVILLE — Mississippi State soccer wrapped up the 2024 Southeastern Conference regular season championship on Sunday, securing the program’s first-ever title with a 2-0 win at Texas A&M. An eighth SEC shutout and goals from Ally Perry and Elle McCaslin saw the Bulldogs move to 9-0 in conference play.
“This is an incredibly special night for our program,” head coach James Armstrong said. “To win the regular season is a testament to the determined work ethic of the players, coaches and staff. Every day they all come ready to go through the grind so for them all to be rewarded this way is very fitting. Thank you to everyone for the sacrifices they have made and the fans who have supported us all season.”
Late that night, the Bulldogs returned to a police escort and a gathering of fans as they celebrated their win.
“It’s surreal, I can’t put it into words, honestly,” midfielder Macey Hodge said, reflecting on her personal and team journey after arriving at George M. Bryan airport late on Sunday. “To come down and see so many people, the community support is crazy here and we obviously created something special. They’re just as much a part of it as we are, this was for all of us. So it was awesome being ready to celebrate with everyone.”
Hodge was a crucial part of the Bulldogs’ win on Sunday, returning from a one-match suspension to reinforce the midfield and set up McCaslin’s goal with a quick free kick. Her physical defending and hard tackling were a boost for the Bulldogs as they struggled out of the gate, but she and her teammates turned the game around in the second half.
“We said we’d worked too hard not to give this one final push for 45 minutes, and our staff looked at the players and could tell we would get that response out of them in the second half,” Armstrong reflected on the halftime team talk. “I thought they were brilliant. We went deeper than we have done in a long time, and everyone did an unbelievable job.”
“We just have a lockdown defense,” goalkeeper Maddy Anderson added. The match saw her earn her 38th career shutout. “There are games where we only allow one shot on goal, two shots, whatever it may be. It’s a testament to the work we put in, and the work that coach Drago (Ceranic) and the coaching staff have done to create a lockdown defense.”
The Bulldogs have a quick turnaround before the final game of the regular season at South Carolina on Wednesday. Armstrong was happy to wrap up the title before then, but with seeding for the NCAA tournament still at play the team is looking to finish strong in Columbia. The undefeated conference record is at stake, but it’s also a game to further prove they are who they believe they are, the best.
“I always say the best team is going to be at the top of the league at the end of the season,” Armstrong said. “The league table doesn’t lie. We’re going to enjoy this one because it means a lot. Texas A&M is a tough place to go, South Carolina is too, those being at the back end of the season was tricky so to go to College Station and get the points we needed today means the world to us.”
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