No. 17 Bulldogs Depart For First Road Trip

STARKVILLE – Fresh off a signature victory over then-No. 10 Wake Forest, the No. 17 Mississippi State soccer team will make its first road trip of the season this week.

The Bulldogs (2-0-0) will play at Baylor on Thursday before heading to Oklahoma State on Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on Thursday night from Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.

MSU last traveled to Waco, Texas, in 2002, but the two teams played in Starkville last year. The Bulldogs were the victors in that match, which saw just one goal scored. Both teams remain undefeated this season and both have conceded just one goal on the year.

Offensively, State has been more productive so far. The Bulldogs have scored five goals in two games, while the Bears boast three over three contests. MSU is averaging 17.5 shots per game while allowing just 4.5 shots per game. Ally Perry is leading the way with 6.00 shots per game individually, which leads the SEC.

Kicking Off

Points On Perry: Ally Perry has registered a point in 13 of her last 24 matches. This year, she once again leads the SEC in shots per game (6.00) and is pacing the league in assists per game (1.00).

Stingy State: MSU has set program records each of the last three years for the fewest shots allowed per game. In 2024, State allowed just 7.5 shots per game, and this year, the Bulldogs are off to an even better start, allowing just 4.5 shots per game and just 2.0 shots on goal per game.

Toppling No. 10: Dating back to last year, Wake Forest had allowed just four goals over their previous nine matches since the start of the 2024 NCAA Tournament where they reached the national championship match.

A Win Would: A Bulldog victory would make Nick Zimmerman just the second MSU head coach to open his tenure 3-0-0, joining Tom Anagnost in 2017. However, Zimmerman would be the first to start his overall coaching career with three straight victories. Anagnost had five prior seasons at previous schools.

About Baylor (1-0-2, 0-0-0 Big 12)

Rankings: United Soccer Coaches – NR | TopDrawerSoccer – NR
Head Coach: Michelle Lenard | Record at BAY: 21-26-12 (4th Year) | Career Record: 222-103-03 (18th Year)

Series History

Notables

After a pair of draws to open the season Baylor snapped Montana's home unbeaten streak on Sunday with a 2-0 victory, handing the Grizzlies their first loss at home since 2023. Over two matches in the Rumble in the Rockies, goalkeeper Azul Alvarez finished with six saves and did not allow a goal. For the season, the Bears have conceded just once, but Alvarez has been busy, already posting 10 saves on the year. Last year's meeting in Starkville was the first between the two programs since they first played in Waco in 2002. The all-time score between the program's is tied, 2-2.

Next Up

The Bulldogs remain on the road for the rest of the week. Following the match at Baylor State will head up I-35 to play at Oklahoma State on Sunday afternoon.

Follow the Bulldogs

For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on X, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSOC."

No. 17 Bulldogs Depart For First Road Trip

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ally Perry

Mississippi State University Athletics

No. 17 Bulldogs Depart For First Road Trip

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ally Perry

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