Thursday, September 3
Starkville
5 p.m.
Mississippi State
6-0-0, 0-0-0
2
vs
1
Louisiana
4-2-1, 0-0-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Mississippi St. | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Bulldogs Claim 150th Home Victory Against Louisiana
September 03, 2026 | Soccer
STARKVILLE – Hailey Johnson tapped a deflected pass into the net in the 64th minute for the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory for Mississippi State against Louisiana on Thursday night.
Johnson has now recorded at least one point in all but one game, and she leads the team with four goals this season. She is the only Bulldog with multiple game-winning goals in 2026.
"That [scoring instinct] is something that she's had," head coach Kevin O'Brien said. "She puts herself in the right spots. It's funny, I've called it this before, but she's kind of a fox in the box. She knows where to be at the right moment. Therefore, she can get on the end of it, like the free kick she got on the end of and the goal tonight. She just kind of knows how to anticipate and be there before the defender, and that's a massive trait for any forward. I'm thankful that she's finding success at this program."
Laila Murillo opened the scoring early for State. She drew a penalty in the eighth minute and took it herself, putting the Bulldogs on the board inside of 10 minutes for the third time this year.
Shortly after that, Louisiana's leading scorer, Mike Kurihara, fought her way through a tackle at the top of the box and scored from 17 yards out to equalize.
At the break, the Bulldogs held a 12-2 edge in shots with eight of those on target. State had also earned five corners while the Ragin' Cajuns had none.
In the 56th minute, Kati Anne Shepherd earned State's second penalty of the night, but her attempt was saved. She continued to apply pressure, and in the 64th minute she played a cross in that the goalkeeper could not corral. Johnson pounced on the deflection inside the six-yard box and put it home for the game-winning goal.
The assist for Shepherd gave her a fourth game with at least one point in six contests this year. The duo leads the team with 11 points for Johnson and nine points for Shepherd.
With the victory, State has tied the longest home, regular-season, non-conference winning streak in program history at 16 consecutive matches, matching a streak that began with the school's second-ever soccer match back in 1998. It was also MSU's 150th home victory.
The Bulldogs (6-0-0) will look to complete a perfect run through the non-conference slate on Sunday against Charlotte with kickoff set for 1 p.m. CT on SEC Network+. A win in that game would mark just the fourth time, excluding the COVID-altered 2020 season, that MSU won every non-conference match on its schedule in a year.
State's regular-season, non-conference winning streak, in matches home or away, has now reached nine games, which is one shy of the school record.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on X, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSOC."
Johnson has now recorded at least one point in all but one game, and she leads the team with four goals this season. She is the only Bulldog with multiple game-winning goals in 2026.
"That [scoring instinct] is something that she's had," head coach Kevin O'Brien said. "She puts herself in the right spots. It's funny, I've called it this before, but she's kind of a fox in the box. She knows where to be at the right moment. Therefore, she can get on the end of it, like the free kick she got on the end of and the goal tonight. She just kind of knows how to anticipate and be there before the defender, and that's a massive trait for any forward. I'm thankful that she's finding success at this program."
Laila Murillo opened the scoring early for State. She drew a penalty in the eighth minute and took it herself, putting the Bulldogs on the board inside of 10 minutes for the third time this year.
Shortly after that, Louisiana's leading scorer, Mike Kurihara, fought her way through a tackle at the top of the box and scored from 17 yards out to equalize.
At the break, the Bulldogs held a 12-2 edge in shots with eight of those on target. State had also earned five corners while the Ragin' Cajuns had none.
In the 56th minute, Kati Anne Shepherd earned State's second penalty of the night, but her attempt was saved. She continued to apply pressure, and in the 64th minute she played a cross in that the goalkeeper could not corral. Johnson pounced on the deflection inside the six-yard box and put it home for the game-winning goal.
The assist for Shepherd gave her a fourth game with at least one point in six contests this year. The duo leads the team with 11 points for Johnson and nine points for Shepherd.
With the victory, State has tied the longest home, regular-season, non-conference winning streak in program history at 16 consecutive matches, matching a streak that began with the school's second-ever soccer match back in 1998. It was also MSU's 150th home victory.
The Bulldogs (6-0-0) will look to complete a perfect run through the non-conference slate on Sunday against Charlotte with kickoff set for 1 p.m. CT on SEC Network+. A win in that game would mark just the fourth time, excluding the COVID-altered 2020 season, that MSU won every non-conference match on its schedule in a year.
State's regular-season, non-conference winning streak, in matches home or away, has now reached nine games, which is one shy of the school record.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on X, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSOC."
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
UL
MSU
Goals
1
2
Shots
7
22
Shots on Goal
5
13
Saves
11
4
Corners
0
7
Fouls
11
9
Scoring Plays
Laila Murillo (2)
MSU Laila Murillo PENALTY KICK GOAL.
07:17
Miku Kurihara (6)
GOAL by UL Kurihara, Miku.
17:00
Hailey Johnson (4)
Assisted By: Kati Anne Shepherd
GOAL by MSU Johnson, Hailey Assist by Shepherd, Kati Anne.
63:55
Game Leaders
Shots
6
SOG
3
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
4
SOG
3
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
3
SOG
2
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
6
SOG
3
Goals
0
Assists
0
Thursday, September 03
Sunday, August 30
Sunday, August 30
Thursday, August 27