STARKVILLE — Mallory Eubanks and Tanya de Souza like what the Mississippi State women’s soccer team has accomplished through six games.
While some might be surprised by the team’s 4-2 start to the season, Eubanks, a junior forward, and de Souza, a junior goalkeeper, believe the results are a sign of bigger and better things to come for the Bulldogs.
Eubanks and de Souza hope the next positive step comes at 7 tonight when MSU plays host to No. 25 Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams at the MSU Soccer Field. The game will be broadcast live on SEC Network +.
“I think we are in really good position to start the SEC games,” de Souza said. “The wins from last weekend have brought us a lot of confidence. I feel like we are ready like we have never been before.”
MSU enters the game on a three-game winning streak after a victory against Tennessee-Martin and victories against South Alabama (2-1 in double overtime) and Southern Mississippi (1-0) last weekend. The win against South Alabama looks even more impressive considering South Alabama defeated No. 1 Florida State on the same field a few days later. The overtime win was MSU’s first on the road since 2004.
The win against South Alabama was doubly rewarding for the Bulldogs because de Souza was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week. She is the first MSU goalkeeper to earn the honor since Skylar Rosson did it in 2011. De Souza’s 5.60 saves per game leads the SEC, while her .848 save percentage is second in the league.
De Souza made nine saves against South Alabama, including a game-saving stop of a penalty kick by Rio Hardy in the 84th minute, that preserved the 1-1 tie. In the 101st minute, freshman McKenna de Graaf scored the game-winning goal.
“We have a way different mentality this year,” de Souza said. “The new players coming in has helped, too. We all have a different way of thinking and we know this year is our year, and we are all ready to change the program.”
Last season, MSU earned its first victory against a ranked opponent in more than four years, its first conference win in more than three years, and its first win at Arkansas. The Bulldogs finished one point shy of qualifying for the SEC tournament for the first time since 2004.
This season, the addition of eight newcomers, including freshman forward MaKayla Waldner and midfielder Johanna Hamblett, who is from New Zealand, have bolstered a roster that has greater depth and experience. Those factors have helped MSU move into prime position to win its SEC opener for the first time since a 3-0 victory against Arkansas on Oct. 4, 2002, in Starkville.
Eubanks, who leads the team in shots on goal (12) with Hamblett, also feels the team is at a good place. She said exhibition wins against Memphis and Iowa State and a 2-1 loss to nationally ranked Virginia Tech have given the team confidence. She said that belief helped it rebound from a 1-0 loss to Lipscomb on Aug. 26 in Starkville.
“I feel like we have some momentum coming off the last three wins and some confidence built up and we actually believe in our abilities and our teammates’ abilities and trust each other with a lot,” Eubanks said. “I think we are in a good place where we know we still have to fight and we haven’t come out and won every game and that we can’t expect to win and that we have to come out and prove something every day and every game.”
Eubanks said the new mentality started in the spring. She feels the players made the most of their time and embraced what they were supposed to in the summer. As a result, she said everyone returned to school and worked out together as a team to put the Bulldogs at a better place to start the 2016 season.
“I feel like this year we have an identity to us. We go out and every day we know who we are, what our role is, what we’re supposed to do, and what we want to do to other teams,” Eubanks said. “Having that identity gives us something to play for.”
MSU coach Aaron Gordon doesn’t know how much momentum his team has in part because he equates having momentum with how a team plays. He said the Bulldogs didn’t play their best soccer last weekend but found ways to win in tough situations on the road. He said MSU’s depth has been a factor that has helped it because opponents can’t stop Eubanks and shut the team down. Now, he said, the Bulldogs have multiple players contributing and they have adopted a high-pressure way of playing that creates turnovers and leads to scoring opportunities.
“I don’t ever think the first game of the league makes or breaks you when you’re competitive,” Gordon said. “But it can set a tone that can propel you to the next game, and that is what I am looking for. What I would like from our team is a statement from our team that the league has started and we’re here to compete to win the league. That is my mind-set. Last year, it was I want them to make a statement we can compete in the league. I know we can compete in the league. I now want the team to make a statement that we can win the league. How we compete (against Arkansas) determines our path.”
Arkansas is coming off a 1-0 loss to George Washington. The loss dropped Arkansas from No. 17 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA) poll to No. 25. The Razorbacks’ ranking last week was their highest in that national poll.
Gordon said tonight’s match will be a challenge because the teams are similar in that they like to press teams into mistakes. He believes Arkansas will present a physical test and hopes MSU will be able to counter with its speed and quickness to extend its winning streak.
“I think familiarity, shared experiences, good and bad, I think that enables your team to perform at a higher level because you know what the person next to you is going to do,” Gordon said. “We have layered that in over three years now with players playing together. It is just a better vibe. This is the most serious soccer team I have coached since I have been here from a day-in, day-out basis. I think that is why we don’t have a bunch of freshmen starting.”
MSU will play host to Louisiana-Lafayette at 1 p.m. Sunday. The game will serve as MSU’s Senior Day.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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