STARKVILLE — The doubt is gone.
Mallory Eubanks wondered how she would fit in when she participated in the United States Under-20 National Team Camp in January in Sanford, Florida. As a newcomer, Eubanks was one of 28 players (18 college soccer) vying for the attention of head coach Michelle French and the rest of USA Soccer.
Surrounded by so many experienced players, Eubanks, who had recently completed her freshman season at Mississippi State, wasn’t sure how she stacked up to the other players, or if they would even pass her the ball.
But those thoughts vanished after a few days as Eubanks proved she belonged and could compete with some of the nation’s top players.
“It was definitely challenging to fit in, but after a couple of days of training I felt like the girls had respect for me and started to open up,” Eubanks said.
Eubanks, a 5-foot-4 forward from Lexington, Kentucky, hopes to use the U-20 experience as a building block this season as her sophomore season at MSU approaches. Eubanks and her teammates will kick off the 2015 season at 7 p.m. Friday when they play host to South Alabama at the MSU Soccer Field. MSU will wrap up the weekend at 1 p.m. Sunday with a home match against Murray State.
MSU figures to need Eubanks up top to provide a dependable threat. Last season, she was one of only two Bulldogs to play in all 18 games. She led the team in minutes (1,563) and had one goal and four assists (six points). Her performance earned her a spot on the Southeastern Conference’s All-Freshman team.
This season, Eubanks feels MSU can be even more dangerous. She said she has liked what she has seen in training and in the team’s exhibition victories against Tennessee-Martin and Memphis. She said freshmen Kennadi Carbin and Lauryn Bruffett have provided great linking options she hopes can add a dimension to the Bulldogs’ attack.
“I just want her to be more assertive,” MSU coach Aaron Gordon said. “I think there is going to be more room for her to do things. Last year, she was maybe one of our only dangerous players. Being man-marked all over the field sometimes gets difficult. I think she will find more room for herself, but when you find more room for yourself you tend can get complacent or relaxed where when you have more time and space you need to take advantage of it.”
Gordon said Eubanks returned from the U-20 camp full of confidence. He said an injury in the spring slowed her momentum, but it didn’t affect her mind-set.
“She was one of the quickest players there,” Gordon said. “She had one of the best verticals. I think those all were affirmations that she is in that talent group, which, to me, is half of the battle.
“For Mallory, she has even higher expectations of herself, which sometimes is a little bit more pressure, but if you want to be a big-time player, you have to be able to handle those things.”
Gordon said Eubanks is still working to get back to 100 percent strength following an illness that caused her to lose weight. Considering Eubanks is 5-4, Gordon said it has taken a little longer for Eubanks to regain her strength, but he believes she will be there very soon.
Gordon hopes the 10-player freshman class provides depth that will take some of the defensive pressure off Eubanks, who is easily the team’s most recognizable attacking personality. If she isn’t man-marked, Gordon hopes Eubanks will be able to move in space and will continue to have a high work rate so she is able to capitalize on the team’s pressure.
Eubanks played two seasons at Tates Creek High School in Lexington following her move back to the United States from Geneva, Switzerland. As a senior, she scored 37 goals and had 22 assists in 26 games to lead her team to the state semifinals. That performance helped her earn NSCAA Kentucky High School Player of the Year, Miss Kentucky Soccer, and first-team All-State accolades.
Eubanks said she often attracted man-marking in high school, so she is accustomed to getting a lot of attention. She said she is excited to take on that role this season because she knows her teammates are counting on her. She will tackle that challenge with the added confidence from the U-20 camp in which she proved she belonged.
“I took from the (U-20) experience that everyone there was so excited to get after it every day,” Eubanks said. “I come out here and I try to remind people on our team every morning that we love soccer, we love playing, let’s play with passion in everything you do. Every tackle is for each other and to win, so just be very competitive and play with a lot of heart.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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