After a tie against Alabama in its first SEC game on Thursday, Texas faced the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville on Sunday, falling short 1-0. This game is the first defeat for the Longhorns this season, leaving the team without a conference win after the first two games.
The game was Texas Athletics’ first time playing away in an SEC environment for conference play. As part of an iconic tradition, the fans in the Mississippi State crowd rang cowbells constantly throughout the game, creating a hostile environment for Texas. It was also Mississippi State’s fourth-largest crowd in soccer history, with 1,411 fans in attendance. For head coach Angela Kelly’s team, the effects were evident in the defense and midfield.
Along with the new environment for the Longhorns, Mississippi State constantly pressed the Texas defense and midfield. This made it hard for the team to maintain possession throughout the entire game, one of the team’s biggest keys to success so far this season. The press was too much to handle in the center of the pitch, as senior midfielder Lexi Missimo did not register a shot in the first half.
The Bulldogs’ style of play paid off early in the game with redshirt junior midfielder Ally Perry finding the back of the net in the 14th minute. Perry found the ball outside the 18-yard box, created enough space away from her defender and unleashed a shot that went across the goal into the side-netting.
The Longhorns went into the game without senior forward Trinity Byars and senior defender EmJ Cox due to injuries, and were hit with yet another injury in the 30th minute. With Mississippi State senior forward Hannah Johnson carrying the ball past the defense and into the 18-yard box, senior goalkeeper Mia Justus rushed to slide and block the shot.
While successful in defending her goal — along with the help of three defenders who forced a stop after the loose ball was at the feet of a Bulldog attacker — Justus was slow to get up. The game was forced into an injury timeout when medical staff assisted Justus off the field. Justus did not return to the game, instead, senior goalkeeper Megan Hogate was substituted in for only her third appearance for the Longhorns.
In the second half, the Longhorns came out more adjusted to the environment. In the 49th minute, freshman forward Amalia Villarreal found the ball at the top of the 18-yard box and attempted to curve the ball into the far right corner, slightly missing the frame.
This was the first of five shots in the second half, an uncharacteristically low number for the Longhorns, who previously averaged 24.56 shots per game.
Looking for the equalizer, Villarreal and Missimo created two chances for their team that almost gave the Longhorn a point from the game. Missimo, in her only shot of the game, was able to put her foot on a cross in the box, but the shot was saved by Mississippi State’s graduate goalkeeper, Maddy Anderson. Anderson also saved Villarreal’s shot attempt in the 87th minute, sealing the victory for the Bulldogs.
Texas soccer will return back to the state of Mississippi to take on Ole Miss on Sept. 26, with the Longhorns still searching for their first win in the new conference.
