Heydari Named SEC Freshman Of The Week

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Freshman Honeye Heydari's stellar weekend in a pair of 3-0 Mississippi State wins was recognized by the SEC Tuesday as she was named the conference's freshman of the week.

Heydari hit both game-winning goals as Neil Macdonald's squad improved to 5-0, the second-best start in school history.

"We are very proud of Honeye for being named SEC Freshman of the Week. It is a great achievement, one she is very deserving of," Macdonald said. "Since coming in, she has made a huge impact on our team, not just with the goals she's scored but also the way she has created goal-scoring opportunities for her teammates."

The Jackson, Tenn., native ended the week with six points on three goals. Her trio of scores came on five on-goal chances.

Heydari opened the weekend with the winner in the 12th minute against Louisiana-Monroe, and capped it Sunday with two goals, her first multiple-goal game, in State's 3-0 victory against Georgia State.

Heydari hit the winner against the Panthers at the 2:19 mark. Her final goal of the weekend came 20 seconds after Elisabeth Sullivan gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead, the second-fastest consecutive goals in school history.

Through her first five games, she has scored five goals and assisted on three more for 13 points. She has tallied a point in every match this season, the third-longest streak in MSU annals.

Heydari and her Mississippi State teammates close the non-conference slate this weekend, hosting Mississippi Valley State Friday and Southern Mississippi Sunday. Both matches are set for a 7 p.m. opening kick.