STARKVILLE — Not even an impromptu series of showers caused by the accidental turning on of the sprinkler system could cool off the Mississippi State University soccer team.
Playing an atypical Sunday evening match, MSU used a golden-goal by Jasmine Simmons to defeat the University of Southern Mississippi 1-0 at the MSU Soccer Field.
Simmons scored less than three minutes into the sudden-death overtime period to help MSU improve to 7-0 for the second time in its 17-year program history, and first time since 2009.
“This was a hard-fought match. I think this is what we needed to get ready for (Southeastern) conference play,” said Simmons, a senior midfielder from Oklahoma City. “I am just really glad I hit that shot well and it was able to go in. It was a long, intense match. That was a good way to end it.”
MSU cashed in on its first scoring opportunity in the extra period, as Morganne Grimes set up Dana Forbes, who fed Simmons, who beat goalkeeper Lindsey Schwaner.
“This was a really great match, and it says a lot that we found a way to win,” MSU freshman forward Honeye Heydari said. “I thought our defense was really great tonight. That was the difference in the match. We did not have as many opportunities to score as we have been having.
“The goal, though, was scored with some great passing. This win gives us a lot of confidence going forward.”
MSU will now turns its attention to the SEC portion of its schedule, which begins Friday at the University of South Carolina. A year ago, the Bulldogs finished 3-7-1 in league play and failed to qualify for the conference tournament. MSU has played in that event twice — in 2001 and 2004.
This season, an expanded 14-team SEC will play a 13-match conference schedule. The top 10 teams will make the conference tournament.
“I really like where this team is (headed into conference play),” MSU coach Neil Macdonald said. “Granted, we have to become a more physical team. However, playing in the Southeastern Conference will toughen you up in a hurry. We have so many freshmen who are playing big minutes for us. I look forward to watching them make the jump this weekend.”
The University of Mississippi and Mississippi State are the SEC’s only undefeated teams. On Sunday, the University of Tennessee lost 1-0 at UCLA and the University of Kentucky lost 3-1 to Samford in Louisville, Ky. In the latest Soccer America poll, Florida (No. 15), Tennessee (No. 20), and Ole Miss (No. 25) are the nationally ranked.
“Being 7-0 is nice, but the real season is beginning now,” Simmons said. “What we have done so far is in the past. I liked how we worked during the offseason and the strides we made as a team. I thought this could be a special year. As a team, we are ready to play some of the tough opponents we will face in the SEC.”
To continue the success, the Bulldogs will have to continue to produce. MSU has 19 goals this season, two better than its total last season. The Bulldogs entered the weekend ranked third in the league with an average of 3.2 goals per match.
“Our offensive play has come a long way since the beginning of the year,” said Heydari, who was this past week’s SEC Freshman of the Week. “Since this is my first year in the program, a lot of this has been new to me. I really think we are doing a great job of communicating and working together as a team. I know that is something coach Macdonald stressed a lot during the summer.”
Macdonald’s teams have always excelled on the defense. Sunday’s victory was the Bulldogs’ school-record fifth-straight shutout. Senior goalkeeper Skylar Rosson has been a steady force and now has 11 career shutouts, tying a school mark.
“We have always been outstanding defensively,” Macdonald said. “If you look at Shannen Jainudeen and Morganne Grimes in the back, it starts with them. They are absolutely rocks back there. They organize everything in front of them. Their tackling and covering of each other is outstanding. Everyone else feeds off of that.
“In the goal, we have an experienced keeper in Skylar. She really came up huge tonight. On a (one-versus-one) situation, she came up big there late in the match. That is what you expect your senior to do. She is a good one for us.”
MSU finished with a 23-11 advantage in shots. However, the Golden Eagles (2-3-1) had the better of the play in the final 10 minutes of regulation. MSU dodged a couple of outstanding scoring chances by the guests and was forced into its first overtime match of the season.
“We took a deep breath when the match got into overtime,” Simmons said. “We knew we were fortunate, and we needed to take advantage of the next chance we got.”
The victory also spoiled the homecoming of fifth-year USM coach Scott Ebke, who served three years as an assistant coach at MSU. Former MSU player Betty Ann Casey is a first-year assistant at USM.
“Southern Miss came well organized and had a plan,” Macdonald said. “It was really good we got stretched like this and pushed out of our comfort zone. Our starting lineup tonight was mostly freshmen and sophomores. This type of match will go a long way toward helping us get ready for conference play.”
MSU will conclude its first conference road swing Sunday at the University of Kentucky. It will open its seven-match home conference slate with matches against Vanderbilt, Tennessee, LSU, and Texas A&M to end the month.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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