The Mississippi State women’s soccer team is advancing to the Sweet 16 after mounting a 1-0 victory over Washington on Friday.
The first and only score needed on the night came in the second half when Hannah Johnson lofted a ball into open space as Zoe Main outsprinted a Husky defender to meet and net it. The largest crowd – clocked at 4,022 – erupted as the Bulldogs seized the lead seconds shy of the 72-minute mark.
ON THE COUNTERATTACK 😤#NCAASoccer x 🎥 ESPN+ / @HailStateSOC pic.twitter.com/e58LI97x0h
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) November 23, 2024
Mississippi State’s stellar home defense stayed strong for the next 18 minutes, led by goalkeeper Maddy Anderson. Proving to be one of the toughest home environments in all of college soccer, the Bulldogs have yet to allow an opposing team to score when playing in Starkville.
As the final whistle blew, Mississippi State walked off the field with both the win and a lead in every major statistical category, including goals (1-0), shots (17-12), and corners (12). Both the Bulldogs and Huskies logged 12 fouls apiece in what was a physical match.
“Obviously, a great result against a really, really good side. All credit to Washington, I thought they were really, really good tonight and gave us everything that they had,” Mississippi State head coach James Armstrong said. “The girls did what they did all season – found a way, you know, in front of an unreal crowd of over 4,000 people ringing their cowbells.”
Mississippi State, a one-seed in the tournament and ranked No. 2 in the nation, will welcome four-seed Notre Dame to town on Sunday, Nov. 24. The game will begin at 5 p.m. CT with tickets available here.
