Sunday, August 23
Starkville
6 p.m.
Mississippi State
3-0-0, 0-0-0
4
vs
0
Southern Miss
1-2-0, 0-0-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Miss. | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mississippi St. | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Bulldogs Extend In-State Winning Streak In Shutout Of Southern Miss
August 23, 2026 | Soccer
STARKVILLE – A pair of goals each from Laila Murillo and Kati Anne Shepherd gave Mississippi State a 4-0 victory over Southern Miss on Sunday evening. The win stands as State's eighth straight against teams from the state of Mississippi.
Shepherd also had an assist on one of Murillo's goals, giving her the first five-point night by a Bulldog freshman since Annebel ten Broeke had a goal and three assists in a 4-2 win over Jackson State on Sept. 15, 2013. The pair stand as State's first pair of multi-goal scorers in a game since A.K. Ward and Gracie East against Colgate on Sept. 3, 2017.
"It is a good thing when you have multiple players scoring multiple goal in multiple games," head coach Kevin O'Brien said. "They are playing at a high level at training, and you are seeing it come to fruition in the games which for a coach is the dream scenario. It's awesome. We give them freedom in the final third to take risks, and if we lose it and turn it over, they are still 100 yards from scoring on us. So, I'm like, 'Go be brave. Go be confident. Go do something special.'"
The Bulldogs (3-0-0) applied a lot of pressure early, and that paid off in creating the first goal of the match. Laila Murillo blocked two subsequent clearance attempts and recovered the ball just outside the 18-yard box. She launched a shot from the corner of the box that glanced off the crossbar on the opposite corner of the net and in.
Shepherd's goal came late in the first half in the aftermath of a Bulldog free kick near the corner flag. The service went off a Southern Miss player and forced the keeper to dive and keep the ball out of the net. Elsa Johnson pounced on the rebound and cut it back to Shepherd near the penalty spot for an easy goal.
The Bulldogs outshot Southern Miss, 10-2 in the first half with four of those attempts on target. The Golden Eagles (1-2-0) changed shape out of the break, and that shifted momentum in their favor early in the second half. In the 54th minute, the referees went to the monitor to review for a potential denial of a goal scoring opportunity against Mississippi State, but after review the play stood as called with no foul. That would be Southern Miss' most-dangerous opportunity of the night.
Shepherd scored on a superb individual effort in the 66th minute. She dribbled up the left wing, cut into the box past two defenders and slipped a sharp-angle shot between the oncoming keeper and the near post. Less than five minutes later, she served a corner kick into the box where Murillo headed it home for the game's final goal.
The Bulldogs remain at home for two matches next week. State hosts Oklahoma State on Thursday night at 6 p.m. CT before welcoming Alcorn State on Sunday evening.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on X, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSOC."
Shepherd also had an assist on one of Murillo's goals, giving her the first five-point night by a Bulldog freshman since Annebel ten Broeke had a goal and three assists in a 4-2 win over Jackson State on Sept. 15, 2013. The pair stand as State's first pair of multi-goal scorers in a game since A.K. Ward and Gracie East against Colgate on Sept. 3, 2017.
"It is a good thing when you have multiple players scoring multiple goal in multiple games," head coach Kevin O'Brien said. "They are playing at a high level at training, and you are seeing it come to fruition in the games which for a coach is the dream scenario. It's awesome. We give them freedom in the final third to take risks, and if we lose it and turn it over, they are still 100 yards from scoring on us. So, I'm like, 'Go be brave. Go be confident. Go do something special.'"
The Bulldogs (3-0-0) applied a lot of pressure early, and that paid off in creating the first goal of the match. Laila Murillo blocked two subsequent clearance attempts and recovered the ball just outside the 18-yard box. She launched a shot from the corner of the box that glanced off the crossbar on the opposite corner of the net and in.
Shepherd's goal came late in the first half in the aftermath of a Bulldog free kick near the corner flag. The service went off a Southern Miss player and forced the keeper to dive and keep the ball out of the net. Elsa Johnson pounced on the rebound and cut it back to Shepherd near the penalty spot for an easy goal.
The Bulldogs outshot Southern Miss, 10-2 in the first half with four of those attempts on target. The Golden Eagles (1-2-0) changed shape out of the break, and that shifted momentum in their favor early in the second half. In the 54th minute, the referees went to the monitor to review for a potential denial of a goal scoring opportunity against Mississippi State, but after review the play stood as called with no foul. That would be Southern Miss' most-dangerous opportunity of the night.
Shepherd scored on a superb individual effort in the 66th minute. She dribbled up the left wing, cut into the box past two defenders and slipped a sharp-angle shot between the oncoming keeper and the near post. Less than five minutes later, she served a corner kick into the box where Murillo headed it home for the game's final goal.
The Bulldogs remain at home for two matches next week. State hosts Oklahoma State on Thursday night at 6 p.m. CT before welcoming Alcorn State on Sunday evening.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on X, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSOC."
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
USM
MSU
Goals
0
4
Shots
3
21
Shots on Goal
1
8
Saves
4
1
Corners
1
5
Fouls
8
7
Scoring Plays
Laila Murillo (2)
GOAL by MSU Murillo, Laila.
18:02
Kati Anne Shepherd (3)
Assisted By: Elsa Johnson
GOAL by MSU Shepherd, Kati Anne Assist by Johnson, Elsa.
44:05
Kati Anne Shepherd (3)
GOAL by MSU Shepherd, Kati Anne.
65:50
Laila Murillo (2)
Assisted By: Kati Anne Shepherd
GOAL by MSU Murillo, Laila Assist by Shepherd, Kati Anne.
71:32
Game Leaders
Shots
5
SOG
2
Goals
2
Assists
1
Shots
5
SOG
3
Goals
2
Assists
0
fwd
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
mid
Shots
3
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Sunday, August 23
Sunday, August 23
Thursday, August 13
Wednesday, August 12