STARKVILLE – Mississippi State was penalized after a handball was called in the 18-yard box in the 75th minute of Sunday’s game against Louisiana Tech.
Trailing 1-0, the Bulldogs dominated possession, shots and chances, but Hannah Johnson scored the first goal in the 62nd minute.
MSU called on goalie Maddie Anderson to take a free throw, just like last year’s dramatic win over Ole Miss. But Anderson missed the shot.
Fortunately for MSU, who continued to press, Haley McWhirter fired one off the outstretched arms of LA Tech goalkeeper Sydney Korchak into the top right corner in the 82nd minute as the Bulldogs defeated Lady Techster. , 2-1.
“Miranda threw me in quickly and I was able to beat the player and hit the shot,” McWhirter said. “It was an upward movement that freed me in the box to take the shot.”
LA Tech led 1-0 after a first half in which the Bulldogs (4-0-2) held 54 percent possession, eight shots on goal, three on goal and five corner kicks for the rest of the game. in half.
In the 23rd minute, they needed only one shot and one chance to score on the counter attack.
Mississippi State continued to create scoring chances in the half, but it wasn’t until Johnson scored in the 62nd minute that MSU finally put pressure on LA Tech in the middle of the field.
“I think we used possession, the amount of completed passes we had, to build that up and get the momentum rolling,” Johnson said.
Johnson’s goal was eagerly anticipated, taking until her sophomore year to score her first goal in an MSU uniform. A lovely cross from one Alivia Buxton was wide open in front of goal and with that extra space it looked like a done deal from the start.
It seems like everywhere they turn, the youth of this MSU team continues to play a big role and that was amplified by Johnson’s goal today.
Head coach James Armstrong previously talked about the mix of youth and experience that has come into play as MSU maintains its undefeated record so far in the regular season.
The second half was especially stressful as the Bulldogs struggled to continue their unbeaten run, and for the second time in a week they found themselves in trouble and managed to win.
“I’ve said in interviews this week that we haven’t had a problem yet,” Armstrong said. Today we lost 1-0 against a team that was very smart in their game management but the girls stuck to their game plan and showed their confidence and belief.
Coming off the back of a scoreless tie against South Alabama, MSU’s best opponent of the season, this continued the positive momentum the program has enjoyed so far.
The big thing for the coming week is working to take advantage of opportunities. MSU got the win and scored twice, but it took 22 shots, seven shots on goal and 11 corner kicks to Louisiana Tech’s two shots and one shot on goal.
“We have to get better with our coaching, but the girls have to have confidence in front of the goal,” Armstrong said. “They’re so eager to score that we’re taking away our chances a little bit, so getting two goals today gives us a little bit of peace.”
The non-conference schedule continues as the Bulldogs travel to face in-state rival MSU, a program the Bulldogs haven’t played since a 1-0 exhibition loss in 2019.
In particular, All-SEC linebacker Andrea Tyrrell left the game in the 13th minute with a right leg injury, but knowing how MSU played early, they made it a contest throughout the game.
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