STARKVILLE — A youth movement is under way for the Mississippi State University women’s soccer team.
Coach Neil Macdonald had no problems turning several of his talented freshmen loose this weekend at the Bulldog Classic. The result was just what he wanted.
MSU clicked on all cylinders Sunday, defeating the University of South Alabama 5-0 to win the tournament title at the MSU Soccer Field.
“I saw a lot of hard work and a lot of determination out of this team this weekend,” MSU sophomore midfielder Amy Hoover said. “We have worked real hard on our ball movement since last spring. The freshmen have come in and jumped right in. You were able to see our offense play on a high level today.”
MSU had 14 shots on goal and broke the game open with a goal from Halee Heltsley in the final minute of the opening half that gave the team a 2-0 halftime lead. By that time, the Bulldogs were well on their way to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2009.
“Three and 0 is a good start for this team,” Hoover said. “It will help us prepare for play in the Southeastern Conference. We will get to play some of the top teams in the nation, and we feel like we are ready to compete with them.”
The key for the Bulldogs to maintain their success will be to combine the old with the new.
“Everyone gets along so well on this team,” MSU junior forward Elisabeth Sullivan said. “The new players have really come in and practiced and played like they have been here from the beginning. I am really looking forward to some of future games to see what they can do.”
Macdonald has high hopes for his rookies. The highly touted group is charged with helping the Bulldogs crash the upper division of the conference standings.
“We know we have quality in the freshmen class,” Macdonald said. “They are very committed. We have held a few of them back for just the right moment. I thought today all of the freshmen were just outstanding.”
The Bulldogs have nine freshmen on the roster, including defender Shelby Jordan and forward Honeye Heydari, each of whom drew starts in the contest.
“Shelby and Honeye came in fit and ready to play,” Hoover said. “Even the freshmen who are not starters stay in the matches and are always ready to come in and contribute. I have a tremendous amount of respect for all of the hard work they have put in to get to this point.”
MSU opened the tournament Friday with a 3-2 win against the University of Tennessee at Martin. In each victory, ball movement looked crisp as strong communication skills allowed the Bulldogs to convert on a handful of opportunities.
“We have a done a lot of work on ball retention,” Macdonald said. “We have worked on being smarter with the ball. I thought this match was great because we really played at a high tempo. It was our first afternoon match of the year, and it was very hot. I thought our style really wore South Alabama down there at the end.”
MSU scored 17 goals in 19 matches last season. Improved offense was the main emphasis in offseason.
“The ball movement has been a lot better this season,” Sullivan said. “You can tell that is something we have stressed and really worked on. In both of these matches, the second half was better than the first half. You could see the team really get into a flow in the second half today. It didn’t drop off when some of the younger players came into the match either.”
Macdonald was pleased to get 20 players action.
“(Freshman) Caitlin Maloney was absolutely incredible in the middle today,” Macdonald said. “A lot of our ball retention came through her. Honeye (Heydari) has been playing out of her skin since she got here. She is a huge threat in front of the goal. Shelby Jordan at right back is so steady. You can see we have a strong balance.”
Hoover scored her first two goals of the season. Sullivan, the tournament’s most valuable player, scored once Sunday and three times in the tournament. Madison McKee joined Heltsley in Sunday’s scoring column.
Heydari and Morganne Grimes were each credited with two assists. Sullivan had the other. Skylar Rosson had four saves in goal while recording the squad’s first shutout of the season. Rosson, a senior from Edmond, Okla., has eight career shutouts, tying her for second all-time at MSU with Sarah Roberts.
The Bulldogs now have 10 goals in their first three matches, the best offensive start since 2001.
“It really is good to see the hard work from the offseason pay off,” Hoover said. “Our communication has gotten better. Offensively, we are really a lot better team. I think the fast start will give everybody a lot more confidence going into conference play. As players, it is our job to build on what we are doing and keep working hard.”
Sullivan, Heydari, Hoover, and Grimes made the all-tournament team.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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