Bulldogs Blank Mercer In Exhibition Play, 4-0

Saturday, August 2

Starkville

2 p.m.

Mississippi State

Mercer (Exh.)

Bulldogs Blank Mercer In Exhibition Play, 4-0

August 02, 2025 | Soccer

Photo Gallery

By: Brian Ogden, Associate Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State defeated Mercer, 4-0, in exhibition play on Saturday with a pair of familiar faces leading the way early. The teams played three 30-minute periods instead of the traditional halves.

Zoe Main opened the scoring for State in the 18th minute with a left-footed strike from the top of the box into the far upper corner of the net. Kennedy Husbands picked up an assist on the play.

Ally Perry added another with just 53 seconds left to play in the first period. She stole the ball at the top of the box before gathering herself and placing a ball along the ground and off the inside of the right post to score.

"I think the girls were just excited to finally play someone else," head coach Nick Zimmerman said. "We were working hard this week in training, trying to implement some ideas, you know from that side of it. Happy to come away healthy, you know for the most part, and then obviously to score some good goals. It's a start. There's a long way to go, but it's a start."

The later periods were all about the newcomers. Just over two minutes into the second frame, Tatum Borman beat her defender along the goal line. She cut into the six-yard box and laid the ball off for Laila Murillo who fired it home for State's third goal of the day.

In the final period, Charlotte Grim and Lauryn Taylor teamed up to add a final goal in the 89th minute. Grim's shot from distance rebounded off the left post and rolled across the front of the goal mouth where Taylor calmly deposited it just inside the opposite post.

The Bulldogs limited the Bears to six shots and only two on target. Meanwhile, State poured in 25 shot attempts with 10 coming in the final 30 minutes alone.

All three MSU goalkeepers played in the match with each handling one period. They were only asked to make two saves. In the 49th minute, Jenny Harrison made a routine stop, securing a shot from distance that was directly to her, and in the 80th minute, Graycen Ehlen corralled a header.

Perry led MSU with four shots and three shots on goal. Louisiana Tech transfer Kyra Taylor also fired four shots with two on frame, and Murillo put multiple shots on goal.

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