Mississippi State
Memphis (Exh.)
MSU Gets Heady Performances From Freshmen To Down Memphis 2-1
August 16, 2015 | Soccer
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Propelled by headers from freshmen Carly Mauldin and Kennadi Carbin, Mississippi State earned a 2-1 win against Memphis Saturday night in front of an electric crowd at the MSU Soccer Field.
The win came just three days after the Bulldogs opened the exhibition slate with a 1-0 victory at UT Martin.
“I'm just excited that we got to play a top program like Memphis,” MSU coach Aaron Gordon said. “They have a lot of good players and a great coaching staff, so beating this club shows a lot for our freshmen and sophomores. You can't win with just 11 players, you have to have a full 25 and that's what we have.”
State looked to be heading for a tie with Memphis after senior Emily Adamic evened the score at 1-1 in the 77th-minute, but MSU responded quickly with a go-ahead header from Carbin in the 80th minute.
The game-winner for the Bulldogs came after junior Ariana Holmes, who assisted on Mauldin's header in the 64-minute, launched a free kick from midfield that found a blitzing Carbin for the score.
“We knew when Ari came here we were getting someone who had experience and knew how to battle,” Gordon said about his junior defender. “She wanted to play at an SEC school, and I told her that she not only had an opportunity to step in but to be a main part of our team.”
Holmes' pair of assists Saturday gave her a hand in all three of the Bulldogs' preseason goals.
Sophomore Tanya de Souza went the distance against Memphis, stopping four shots in goal.
The Bulldogs and Tigers were matched in almost every statistical category on Saturday, with Memphis leading in shots on goal (5-4) and MSU winning on shots (8-7) and corners (5-4).
State officially opens the 2015 regular season Aug. 21, hosting South Alabama in a 7 p.m. kick on SEC Network +.
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