MSU Opens Four-Match Road Trip At Auburn, No. 16 Missouri
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Neil Macdonald has stressed putting together a full 90 minutes to his young squad this week as it opens a four-match road trip with games at Auburn and No. 16 Missouri.
The Bulldogs begin the weekend with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Auburn on Friday. Following that contest, MSU ventures to Columbia, Mo., to meet SEC newcomer Missouri in a 1 p.m. kickoff on Sunday.
Macdonald's team embarks on the road trip with a 7-5-1 overall record and 0-5-1 league mark after falling 1-0 to LSU and 2-0 to No. 6 Texas A&M at the MSU Soccer Field last weekend.
State fought evenly with the Aggies, but two goals in the match's opening 15 minutes proved to be the difference on a pitch soaked by two-plus inches of rain.
MSU will be vying for its second-straight win against Auburn after the Dawgs upset a then-No. 25 Tigers squad 2-0 in Starkville last season.
Senior goalkeeper Skylar Rosson was stellar in that performance as she turned away eight shots, including seven in the second half. The Edmond, Okla., native recorded 6 saves against Texas A&M last weekend to move into second in career saves with 295.
In last season's win, junior forward Elisabeth Sullivan scored the Bulldogs' second goal. She has continued her goal scoring this season, notching a team-leading leading 17 points and seven goals.
Auburn enters Friday's match second in the SEC West with a 3-3-0 conference record and a 7-6-0 overall tally following home victories against South Carolina and Ole Miss last weekend.
Tatiana Coleman scored two goals and assisted another last weekend to earn SEC Player of the Week accolades. Coleman has tallied a team-high 14 points behind 4 goals and 6 assists.
Sunday's match against SEC East leader Missouri comes a week after the Dawgs faced an Aggies squad that tops the SEC West table.
Missouri had a five-match win streak halted Sunday with a 1-0 setback to Tennessee. The Tigers, however, enter this weekend boasting a perfect 6-0 home mark.
Abi Raymer has scored 5 goals and dished out 2 assists for a team-high 12 points. Taiwo Adeshigbin follows closely behind with 11 points off of 5 goals and 1 assist.
Sunday's meeting will be State's third with Mizzou. The Bulldogs suffered a 3-1 setback in Columbia in 2002, but they bounced back the following year to claim a 1-0 win in Starkville.
Fans can stay updated on the Bulldogs' road trip by following the team's Twitter (www.twitter.com/mstateSOC) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/mstateSOC) pages.
