Friday, August 19
Charleston, S.C.
8:15 PM
Mississippi State
at
College of Charleston
Soccer Opens 2016 Season In Charleston
August 18, 2016 | Soccer
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Head coach Aaron Gordon and the Mississippi State soccer team opens the 2016 campaign at the Charleston Classic this weekend, as the Bulldogs kick off the season against host College of Charleston on Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT, before facing 17th-ranked Virginia Tech on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. CT.
Friday's contest will mark the first event of MSU's 2016-17 athletic season. Both games will be played at College of Charleston's home field, Patriot's Point.
"We're excited to get the season started after a great preseason," Gordon said. "We have a great opportunity this weekend to play two quality opponents that our program hasn't faced before. We've had a great week of training and look forward to the challenge and finally kicking off the 2016 season."
Last Time Out:
The Bulldogs capped a successful preseason after turning in two quality performances where the squad outscored Memphis and Iowa State by a margin of 4-0. The four goals scored over the preseason were the most since 2011 for the Bulldogs. Sophomore Carly Mauldin scored twice during the preseason, after scoring none in her freshman campaign.
Scouting College of Charleston:
The Cougars, who finished eighth in the Colonial Athletic Association last season, return 24 letterwinners from last year's squad that earned an 8-9-1 mark. After winning only two games in 2013, the Cougars have posted seven and eight wins in back-to-back seasons as head coach Christian Mcihner has the team moving in the right direction. Key to the Cougars success is the sophomore trio of Jessica Schifer, Raymara Barreto and Laura Ortega, who earned a combined 12 goals for the team in 2015.
Scouting Virginia Tech:
In 2015 Virginia Tech continued its winning ways, as the Hokies made their eighth-straight NCAA Tournament berth after a 15-4-2 season. VT comes into the 2016 season ranked 17th by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America as the team returns 15 letterwinners to the Charles Adair-coached squad. Senior All-American Murielle Tiernan, who scored 14 goals last season, will lead the Hokie offensive attack at the forward position.
Series History:
This weekend's contests will be the first against both programs as MSU has never faced College of Charleston or Virginia Tech in its history.
Keys For MSU:
Crucial to MSU's success this season will be the ability of the Bulldogs to get into the attacking third, which Gordon's squad did a great job of during the preseason. Speed played a big part in that aspect as captain Mallory Eubanks and freshman MaKayla Waldner led the attack, with sophomore Kennadi Carbin providing another option as a midfielder on the left wing.
Up Next:
After the opening weekend, the Bulldogs return to the MSU Soccer Field as the squad hosts Lipscomb and UT Martin for a pair of weekend contests. Friday's game against Lipscomb is slated for 7 p.m. CT, while State plays UT Martin on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
Additional Notes:
Live Stats:
Live stats for Friday's opener can be found here or by visiting HailState.com.
Social Media:
For more information on the Mississippi State soccer program, follow "HailStateSOC" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Friday's contest will mark the first event of MSU's 2016-17 athletic season. Both games will be played at College of Charleston's home field, Patriot's Point.
"We're excited to get the season started after a great preseason," Gordon said. "We have a great opportunity this weekend to play two quality opponents that our program hasn't faced before. We've had a great week of training and look forward to the challenge and finally kicking off the 2016 season."
Last Time Out:
The Bulldogs capped a successful preseason after turning in two quality performances where the squad outscored Memphis and Iowa State by a margin of 4-0. The four goals scored over the preseason were the most since 2011 for the Bulldogs. Sophomore Carly Mauldin scored twice during the preseason, after scoring none in her freshman campaign.
Scouting College of Charleston:
The Cougars, who finished eighth in the Colonial Athletic Association last season, return 24 letterwinners from last year's squad that earned an 8-9-1 mark. After winning only two games in 2013, the Cougars have posted seven and eight wins in back-to-back seasons as head coach Christian Mcihner has the team moving in the right direction. Key to the Cougars success is the sophomore trio of Jessica Schifer, Raymara Barreto and Laura Ortega, who earned a combined 12 goals for the team in 2015.
Scouting Virginia Tech:
In 2015 Virginia Tech continued its winning ways, as the Hokies made their eighth-straight NCAA Tournament berth after a 15-4-2 season. VT comes into the 2016 season ranked 17th by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America as the team returns 15 letterwinners to the Charles Adair-coached squad. Senior All-American Murielle Tiernan, who scored 14 goals last season, will lead the Hokie offensive attack at the forward position.
Series History:
This weekend's contests will be the first against both programs as MSU has never faced College of Charleston or Virginia Tech in its history.
Keys For MSU:
Crucial to MSU's success this season will be the ability of the Bulldogs to get into the attacking third, which Gordon's squad did a great job of during the preseason. Speed played a big part in that aspect as captain Mallory Eubanks and freshman MaKayla Waldner led the attack, with sophomore Kennadi Carbin providing another option as a midfielder on the left wing.
Up Next:
After the opening weekend, the Bulldogs return to the MSU Soccer Field as the squad hosts Lipscomb and UT Martin for a pair of weekend contests. Friday's game against Lipscomb is slated for 7 p.m. CT, while State plays UT Martin on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
Additional Notes:
- MSU has opened the season three of the four seasons of head coach Aaron Gordon's tenure.
- The Bulldogs outscored opponents 4-0 in its two friendlies during the preaseason.
- Senior Ari Holmes, junior Mallory Eubanks and sophomore Carly Mauldin were named to the SEC Preseason Watch List on Wednesday
- Freshmen MaKayla Waldner and Johanna Hamblett earned starts in each of MSU's exhibitions.
Live Stats:
Live stats for Friday's opener can be found here or by visiting HailState.com.
Social Media:
For more information on the Mississippi State soccer program, follow "HailStateSOC" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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