Hamblett, Harmon Score In MSU’s 2-0 Win To Open Season

Friday, August 19

Charleston, S.C.

8:15 PM

Mississippi State

1-0

College of Charleston

0-1

MSU

Col. of Charleston

Hamblett, Harmon Score In MSU’s 2-0 Win To Open Season

August 19, 2016 | Soccer

Box Score BOX Box (PDF)Box Score Box Score (PDF)Box Score (PDF)

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Lifted by two goals and a stout defensive performance, the Mississippi State soccer team downed host College of Charleston, 2-0, to open the season in the winning column.

The game between the Bulldogs (1-0, 0-0) and Cougars (0-1, 0-0) was slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. CT, but a lightning delay pushed Friday night's start time to 8:15 p.m. CT.

MSU received scores from freshman Johanna Hamblett and junior Khalyn Harmon in the win, as both picked up their first career goals.

"It's always tough to start the season on the road and our team played great tonight," head coach Aaron Gordon said. "Going back to our two exhibitions, we have scored six goals in our last three games so that's a big step for us. I'm happy with the result tonight against College of Charleston, but are now turning our focus to Virginia Tech."

The opening period of play was dominated by MSU, as the Bulldogs used pressure to attack the Cougars for most of the first 40 minutes. The Bulldogs' efforts finally paid off however in the 43rd minute, as New Zealand native Hamblett found the back of the net after her shot was deflected in.

Much like the first period, the Bulldogs waited until the final portion to score. In the 84th minute, junior Harmon scorched the ball from right to left past the Cougar goalkeeper, after a perfect assist from Hamblett.

Defense Stands Tall Again:
Junior Tanya de Souza collected 11 saves at goal, as the junior earned her first clean sheet of the season. Also pivotal in the defensive effort was MSU's back line of Kiley Martens, Courtney Robicheaux, Ari Holmes and Harmon, who all played big minutes in the shutout win.

Welcome To The Show:
Freshmen played a big part in the win for the Maroon and White, as five freshmen saw their first official action of the season. MaKayla Waldner and Johanna Hamblett both earned starts on Friday, as the two continued to shine for Gordon's squad.

Goal Scoring Rundown:
MSU – Johanna Hamblett (43:32) In her first official start as a Bulldog, New Zealand native Hamblett, put the Bulldogs ahead after a deflected shot found its way past a diving Lauren Killian of College of Charleston.

MSU – Khalyn Harmon (84:34) Freshman Johanna Hamblett found a sprinting Harmon on the right wing, as the Ocean Springs native took the pass and buried her opportunity to put MSU up, 2-0.

Additional Notes:

The 2-0 decision was MSU's first season-opening victory since 2012 (vs. SELU, 2-1)
The victory was the first road-opener win since 2010 (at UT Martin, 2-1)
Going back to the exhibition games, MSU has outscored opponents 6-0 in the last three contests.
MSU received minutes from 19 players in the win
Freshmen MaKayla Waldner, Johanna Hamblett, Alexa England, McKenna de Graaf and Emily Malone all made their first official appearances of their MSU careers.

Head Coach Aaron Gordon Quotes:
"It's always tough to start the season on the road and our team played great tonight," head coach Aaron Gordon said. "Going back to our two exhibitions, we have scored six goals in our last three games so that's a big step for us. I'm happy with the result tonight against College of Charleston, but are now turning our focus to Virginia Tech."

"We found some things we need to work on after the win, but you always have those this earlier in the season," Gordon said. "I'm also pleased with Tanya de Souza's performance, who made some incredible saves to preserve the shutout."

Freshman Johanna Hamblett Quotes:
"We had five minutes left in the first half and we needed a goal," Johanna Hamblett said about her score. "We had to get something because we were pressing so hard. So when the opportunity came I had to take it. I was just at the right place at the right time and I just had to smash it. It was an awesome feeling."

Up Next:
MSU prepares for No. 17 Virginia Tech on Sunday at 10 a.m. CT, who defeated LSU, 1-0 earlier in Charleston. No live video will be available for the game, but live stats will be provided by following the link here.

Social Media:
For more information on the Mississippi State soccer program, follow "HailStateSOC" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.