MSU Meets USM Under The Lights Sunday To Wrap Pre-SEC Slate

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State has the chance to run the table in the non-conference for the second time since 2009 when it wraps the pre-SEC slate against Southern Miss Sunday night in a 7 p.m. kickoff at the MSU Soccer Field.

A free live video stream of the match will be available at www.hailstate.com/hstvlive, and fans can stay updated on Bulldog soccer through Twitter at www.twitter.com/mstateSOC and Facebook at www.facebook.com/mstateSOC.

Sunday's match against the Golden Eagles features plenty of exciting games and giveaways, including drawings for $20 gift cards to several Starkville-area restaurants.

The contest also features the return to campus of Golden Eagle head coach and former Bulldog assistant Scott Ebke. The team's first-year assistant coach, Betty Ann Casey, was a standout goal-scorer for the Dawgs from 2002-05.

MSU is 4-1-1 all-time against Southern Miss. State had a four-match win streak halted last season as the two teams played to a scoreless tie in Hattiesburg.

This year's Bulldog squad matched last season's win total with a 2-0 win against Mississippi Valley State Friday night. MSU scored its 17th and 18th goals of the season, eclipsing the 2011 team's season tally.

Sophomores Dana Forbes and Amy Hoover provided the scoring in Friday's victory. Forbes' opening-half winner was the first goal of her Bulldog career, while Hoover continued a career-best season with her fourth strike of the campaign.

Freshman Honeye Heydari continued her sensational rookie season, claiming her 14th point of the young season with an assist. The Jackson, Tenn., native, who leads the team in points and is tied with junior Elisabeth Sullivan for the goals lead with five, has claimed a point in all six matches, tying her with Jessi Moore and Amy Van Zandt for the most consecutive games with a point in school history.

Friday's win was the fourth-straight shutout for Mississippi State, tying the team with the 2009 squad for the most consecutive clean sheets in program annals.

Senior Skylar Rosson made one save on the night as she moved into second in career shutouts with 10.1.

Head coach Neil Macdonald knows his team will need another solid defensive effort against a highly-motivated Golden Eagle squad.

Southern Miss comes to Starkville looking to bounce back following a tough 2-0 setback to South Alabama in Mobile on Friday that dropped the squad to 2-2-1 overall.

Danica Roberts' pair of goals leads an offensive unit that has seen six different players score.