Bulldogs Force Draw Against Auburn On Friday

Friday, September 29

Starkville

7:00 PM

Mississippi State

7-1-3 (1-1-2SEC)

Auburn

5-3-3 (2-0-2SEC)

OT 3

OT 4

Auburn

Mississippi State

Bulldogs Force Draw Against Auburn On Friday

September 29, 2017 | Soccer

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STARKVILLE, Miss. – Chances were there, but a physical Southeastern Conference soccer match between Auburn and Mississippi State ended in a scoreless draw on Friday night.

The Bulldogs (7-1-3, 1-1-2 SEC) earned its second consecutive draw of the conference slate by tying Auburn (5-3-3, 2-0-2), 0-0, at the MSU Soccer Field.

"We played a good team—Auburn's a really solid team," MSU coach Tom Anagnost said. "They're really well-coached and they have a great program. I thought we definitely had the better chances. You wish you could finish those, but all in all, we had the more dangerous chances and we didn't give them much. We're pleased, but we are definitely not satisfied. We are always a group that is going to want more."

Catalina Perez nabbed a game-high four saves to help keep the Tigers off the board, including a save in which she punched a shot by Auburn's Bri Folds over the net in the second minute. Perez also pitched her fourth shutout of the season in goal for State.

Carly Mauldin nearly netted her first goal of the season in the 25th minute when she fired a shot that rattled off the post.

Payton Gruenewald had a pair of scoring opportunities, tallying a game-high two shots on goal, including a header that was saved by Auburn goalkeeper Sarah Le Beau.

In the 35th minute, Mallory Eubanks nearly broke the deadlock when she had a one-on-one opportunity against Le Beau, but the Auburn keeper managed to stop it on a dive.

Perez again showed her leaping ability in the 59th minute, snagging an Auburn cross into the 6-yard box to keep Auburn scoreless.

In the first overtime, Gracie East had her own one-on-one chance against Le Beau, but her shot sailed just high of the goal.

With just six seconds remaining in the first overtime period, Perez kept the Tigers from ending it when she nabbed her fourth save of the night.

"I liked the effort and the commitment to finishing the game," Anagnost said. "I liked the urgency we displayed at the end of the game. I thought our character in the second overtime was really good and I'm really proud of that."

Next Up For MSU

The Bulldogs will next turn its attention to an SEC road challenge, when it travels to face third-ranked South Carolina on Thursday, Oct. 5. Kickoff from Columbia is set for 6 p.m. CT and the match will be streamed live on SEC Network+.

For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSOC." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."