STARKVILLE – Mississippi State’s soccer team had its chances, 18 total shots in fact – but Lipscomb only needed one Saturday night in Starkville.
The back-to-back Atlantic Sun Conference champions got one goal on a fast break from Bella Carapazza, a high-flying screamer off her right foot into the top left net, and the team followed up with 59 minutes of stalwart defense to pull the 1-0 upset and knock the No. 6 Bulldogs out of the NCAA Division I Tournament Saturday night.
The Bulldogs dominated the ball throughout the game with a possession percentage of 72% and came out of the break desperate. The team tallied 14 shot attempts in the second half but none could find the net. Led by goalie Kaïna Cesar’s five saves, Lipscomb thwarted State’s 18 shots, six on goal, and had an answer for every one of the Bulldogs’ 11 corner kicks.
As the final whistle blew and the game was over, many of the Bulldogs fell to their knees tired and in disbelief. The loss marked the second time in eight years that the Bisons played spoiler to MSU’s postseason dreams, the last of which was 1-0 win in overtime in the first round in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
“First off, thank you to all the fans who came out and supported us all season long. Credit to Lipscomb, (they are) really well-coached (and) made it difficult for us,” head coach Nick Zimmerman said. “(They) sat in and sometimes that’s the way football is – it’s cruel. You create a lot of good chances and (Lipscomb’s) goalkeeper made some incredible saves. I’m really proud of this group for everything they’ve accomplished this year.”
A season full of tremendous wins over ranked foes and a few head-scatching losses for MSU ends at 12-7-1 overall, the fourth straight year in which the team has notched at least 12 wins, and marked the close of a four-year career for 2025 SEC Midfielder of the Year Ally Perry. The senior led her team with five shots, three on goal, against Lipscomb, and had to fight back a few tears when she took a moment to reflect on her career.
“I am very grateful for all the lows and the highs, and this is a low, but just all my memories like thanking the fans for being here, they make a huge impact,” said Perry, who finished the season with a team-leading eight goals. “It is a very special place in my heart, and this summer I have grown as a person and I am a much better person coming out of here. So, just positive emotions, very upsetting, but it’s OK.”
For the Bisons (15-5-2), it’s their second NCAA Tournament appearance in two years and is their first trip to the second round since that 2018 win over State. Lipscomb head coach Kevin O’Brien said his team executed their plan to perfection.
“I’d say to Nick (Zimmerman) and (assistant head coach) Jonathan (Garbar), what a fantastic job they’ve done. What an incredible head coach you’ve got and what an incredible team,” O’Brien said. “We were fortunate. We had a gameplan to try to nick a goal and then we dug in, we dug our heels in and defended really resiliently. (Kaïna) made some phenomenal saves, some of the best saves I’ve seen her make in her career. She’s made a lot of great saves in her career, so for us the script couldn’t have played out any better. Bella’s goal (was) phenomenal for her to make the what, 60-yard run from the center circle in the box, the first touch, the finish was class.”
From Carapazza’s perspective, she actually lost the ball for a second in the stadium’s lights and just stuck her foot out and took a chance, she said.
“Those moments you just get into a flow state of where you are not really thinking, and just watching it go in the back of the net and watching my teammates’ reaction and watching State fans go silent and our little section going nuts because they are just so excited, that’s honestly what made my heart the happiest,” Carapazza said.
The last four seasons of soccer for the Bulldogs have all produced trips to the NCAA Tournament, something Zimmerman credited to his players. This year’s playoff berth ended quicker than the team would have liked, but it’s a loss that he believes will spell more success for his team moving forward.
“It’s a process. It’s performance over results for us and always trusting the process – part of these are learning moments. Sometimes you have to really, really learn and tonight was one of those tough lessons that you have to learn. With these are where you find sometimes the most growth is through failure, if you will, and this is another opportunity for us to reflect as a team, collectively as a staff, to figure out how we can continue to push the envelope forward and make sure we are doing everything we can to put ourselves in the best position to go out day-in and day-out and put together the best performances possible.”
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