STARKVILLE — The No. 25 Mississippi State women’s soccer team didn’t get quite the result it was looking for Thursday night.
But MSU coach Tom Anagnost left his team’s 0-0 overtime tie against Arkansas feeling the Bulldogs are making progress.
“I think we played well. Obviously we generated enough (energy),” Anagnost said. “I’m just pleased with the character that our team exhibited tonight. We were a tough team.”
The tie moved MSU’s record to 9-4-2 overall and 2-4-2 in the Southeastern Conference. With eight points (three points for a win and one for a tie), MSU is in 10th place in the league standings. That would secure the Bulldogs the final spot in the SEC tournament later this month in Orange Beach, Alabama. With two regular-season matches remaining, MSU is one point ahead of Alabama, which upset No. 5 Texas A&M 1-0 on Thursday night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. MSU beat Alabama 5-2 earlier this month in Starkville.
Arkansas is in a three-way tie for third place with 16 points.
MSU didn’t score in its fifth match of the season, all in the SEC. The Bulldogs have scored eight goals in SEC play.
The scoreless draw wasn’t for a lack of effort. The teams combined for 43 fouls in a match that featured plenty of grit, body contact, knockdowns, and tie-ups. Arkansas’ Julia Laskaris received a yellow card in the 41st minute, while MSU’s Courtney Robicheaux earned one in the 109th minute.
Anagnost liked the fight he saw in his team as it tries to get the program back to the SEC tournament for the first time since 2004.
“I think this young team has something to them,” Anagnost said. “They’re a competitive group, and we’re not the most pleasant team people want to play, and I like that. I know we’re better than when we started. They’re some kids (who) are developing as people and players.”
Freshman Zakirah McGillivary (four shots on goal) used her speed to pressure Arkansas, while freshman forward Andrea Tyrrell (four shots) showed she is capable of being a two-way player who can contribute.
“The unsung hero of this team is Andrea Tyrrell,” Anagnost said. “She changed the game for us. She was fantastic. She was gutsy.”
Redshirt senior Rhylee DeCrane (four saves) earned her eighth shutout of the season to become the program’s single-season leader. It is the second time this season she has earned a shutout in a scoreless tie.
DeCrane used a redshirt season in 2017 behind All-America goalkeeper Catalina Perez. She has returned this season to solidify a backline that has been instrumental in the Bulldogs’ ascent to the national rankings for the first time in program history.
“It’s all been mental,” DeCrane said on her growth. “Freshman and sophomore year it was a ‘Why me?’ attitude. ‘Why am I not starting and playing?’ It turned into, ‘What does this team need? What can I do to help this team?’ One big thing was I stopped playing to start and started playing to play.”
DeCrane’s mentality meshes with how Anagnost views the team’s identity. Her undying passion for soccer and work ethic continues to elevate the club. The coach and player hold the same excitement toward the 13 freshmen who will lead the team in the future.
“They came in wide eyed and now they’re getting the minutes,” DeCrane said of the freshman. “They’re becoming so experienced so quickly. I’ve never seen a class be able to mature as fast as they can in the little amount of time they have. They’ve stepped up to the plate and decided Mississippi State is off the chain at soccer.”
MSU will return to action at 4 p.m. Sunday when it takes on Ole Miss in a battle for the Magnolia Cup in Oxford. It will play host to LSU at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, in the regular-season finale.
“It will just click,” DeCrane said. “The (coaching staff) uses the analogy that water boils at 212 degrees, not 211. There’s just going to be one click where everyone just knows. You’ve seen sparks of it. I can’t tell you what it is, but I know we’re there. We’re at 211 degrees. Some of us are jumping up and boiling and we’re going to pull the other girls. There’s going to be a day where you can’t stop us.”
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