The Fighting Irish Blanked the Bulldogs 2-0 in front of yet another record MSU crowd.
Coming into Sunday night’s matchup with Notre Dame, Mississippi State soccer possessed all the momentum in the world. That momentum was sucked out of the stadium in the first half, though, as a pair of Notre Dame goals slid through to seal the deal.
For the second year in a row, Mississippi State put itself exactly where it needed to be and came up just short.
The Irish controlled the match from start to finish, beating Mississippi State in both controlled possession and shots, the latter of which ended in a 24-8 differential. MSU’s loss came in front of the second highest recorded attendance in program history with 3,722 fans in attendance.
The contest proved to be a physical one, as both teams ended with a combined total of 31 fouls called. MSU registered 14 while Notre Dame finished with 17.
Head coach James Armstrong opened his postgame media availability by offering credit where it was due.
“Every single player [for Notre Dame] is just so comfortable on the ball,” said Armstrong. “…I was really proud of the second half. I thought we made some adjustments at half time, and like I said, the girls fought all the way through to the final whistle.”
Notre Dame’s second and final goal of the night came off the foot of freshman Grace Restovich. The midfielder commented on her team’s efforts postgame.
“We didn’t really focus on [our youth] said Restovich. “It was more like we knew we had prepared so well. Our coaches gave us every single tip in the scouting report that we could have, and we really just used that for fuel. We know our talent. We relied on tha, relied on each other.”
Notre Dame Head Coach Nate Norman gave his own props to the Mississippi State fan base for their continued support of the program and ability to pack out the pitch.
“I believe [Mississippi State] is a top 10 program in the country,” said Norman. “And I think what they’ve done here is absolutely amazing.”
In a season where so much went right for Mississippi State soccer, the ball wouldn’t bounce in the right direction a few more times. However, this is still the same Mississippi State that beat Arkansas during the regular season and still the same Mississippi State team that finished with 19 wins.
Lasting Legacies at Mississippi State Soccer
Macey Hodge serves as a member of a senior class that leaves Mississippi State in a much better place than where she and the rest of her group found it. Through tears, she explained how much the Mississippi State community has meant to her.
“It means everything,” said Hodge. “…I never thought that I would be anything other than a girl that just stayed in a small town…and [Mississippi State soccer] changed my life. I wouldn’t be who I am, even as a person, I really found myself and who I was here with these girls and on the soccer field.”
Keeper Maddy Anderson leaves Mississippi State in possession of more records than any Bulldog fan could count. She took time to reflect on her career following the loss.
“It’s just been a blessing,” said Anderson. “Just looking back from our first year to now, I never would have thought that we would be SEC champs, go 10-0 in the SEC, and get to the Sweet 16 again for a second year… It’s just so amazing to watch the growth of this team as a whole, the growth of the program, and the growth of just the community around soccer in Starkville, and I’m just so thankful I got to be a part of it.”
