Shepherd Awarded SEC Freshman Of The Week
September 14, 2026 | Soccer
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State's Kati Anne Shepherd has been selected as SEC Freshman of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday.
Shepherd's game-winning goal in the battle for the Magnolia Cup in Oxford on Friday night led the Bulldogs to their seventh consecutive victory against Ole Miss. Her goal came just 18 seconds after Ole Miss' Jenna Studer was shown her second yellow card in the 69th minute, granting the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead midway through the second half and sparking the largest scoring output against the in-state rival in MSU history.
With her fourth goal of the year, the Birmingham, Alabama, native and 2025-2026 Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year is now tied for the team lead with 11 points and is second only to Laila Murillo in goals. At just 17 years old, Shepherd scored her first collegiate goal in her debut and season opener against South Alabama on August 12, making her the youngest goal scorer in MSU program history. Her four goals are currently the second-most by a Bulldog before she's turned 18 in MSU history.
Shepherd's honors are the first weekly award for the Bulldogs in the 2026 season. The last Mississippi State soccer player to earn SEC Freshman of the Week was Murillo for a two-goal effort at Texas last fall.
The Bulldogs (7-1-0, 1-0-0 SEC) will host their first SEC home opener and second matchup of the season, No. 23 Florida, on Friday, Sept. 18, at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on X, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSOC."
Shepherd's game-winning goal in the battle for the Magnolia Cup in Oxford on Friday night led the Bulldogs to their seventh consecutive victory against Ole Miss. Her goal came just 18 seconds after Ole Miss' Jenna Studer was shown her second yellow card in the 69th minute, granting the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead midway through the second half and sparking the largest scoring output against the in-state rival in MSU history.
With her fourth goal of the year, the Birmingham, Alabama, native and 2025-2026 Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year is now tied for the team lead with 11 points and is second only to Laila Murillo in goals. At just 17 years old, Shepherd scored her first collegiate goal in her debut and season opener against South Alabama on August 12, making her the youngest goal scorer in MSU program history. Her four goals are currently the second-most by a Bulldog before she's turned 18 in MSU history.
Shepherd's honors are the first weekly award for the Bulldogs in the 2026 season. The last Mississippi State soccer player to earn SEC Freshman of the Week was Murillo for a two-goal effort at Texas last fall.
The Bulldogs (7-1-0, 1-0-0 SEC) will host their first SEC home opener and second matchup of the season, No. 23 Florida, on Friday, Sept. 18, at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on X, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSOC."
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