State’s SEC Tournament Run Ends In Penalty Shootout Against Texas

Sunday, November 8

Pensacola, Fla.

4:30 p.m.

Mississippi State

9-2-7, 3-1-6

Texas

8-4-6, 3-3-4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Texas	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mississippi St.	0	0	0	0	0	0

Box Score (PDF)

November 08, 2026 | Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Brian Ogden, Director/Communications

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Mississippi State did what has become expected this season, playing to a 0-0 draw against Texas in the first round of the SEC Tournament. However, two State shooters missed their penalty kicks, eliminating the Bulldogs from the bracket.

Goalkeeper Jenny Harrison made the first save of the shootout in the third round, but State went over the bar on the next attempt and hit the post in the sixth round.

Harrison made six saves over 110 shutout minutes. She is now tied for third in MSU single-season history with nine clean sheets on the year and tied for second in State's career record book with 12.

"Going out on penalties is tough," head coach Kevin O'Brien said. "I'm proud of what the girls have done all season and tonight. It was a great experience for lots of us who have never been to Pensacola, never been to the SEC Tournament. Even the experience of going to penalties is invaluable for this program moving forward. I think it gets us ready for the next time we face it. You don't get experience without stepping into that environment, so we got to step into it. Even though the chips didn't fall our way, I'm totally happy with the way we took them, and the way we went about it."

After being outshot, 7-4, in the first half with four attempts on frame, including one that required a defender to save it off the line, State kept the Longhorns (8-4-6) at bay. The squad made adjustments in the locker room, and leveled the field in the second half.

MSU (9-2-7) and Texas both put a pair of shots on target in the final 45 minutes. The Bulldogs' best chances came in the final 10 minutes of the half, but both Kati Anne Shepher and Kyli Switalski's shots sailed just over the crossbar.

"I loved it. They showed up," O'Brien said. "We were playing a really good team to begin with, and once we kind of got settled in, made a couple adjustments tactically, we were much more in the game. I thought in the second half, we were dangerous in a few moments and had lots of crosses that we weren't quite there to get on the end of them, but, yeah, we were creating chances. That's what you've got to do to score goals. For me, happy with overall performance."

Harrison made a critical save early in the second overtime period on a sharp-angle shot, and the Bulldogs went down the field to create a chance of their own. In the 104th minute, a lengthy review for a possible handball in the box resulted in the call on the field standing. State would take one final shot before the shootout began.

Mississippi State will now await its NCAA Tournament fate. The NCAA Selection Show is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. CT. It will stream live on NCAA.com.

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