Mississippi State’s Shepherd named to SEC All-Freshman Team

Mississippi State forward Kati Anne Shepherd was named to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Team by the league’s coaches Thursday, the school announced.

Shepherd had four goals and 12 points in the regular season, ranking second on the team in points and third in goals. Her four assists tied for the team lead. Two of her goals were game-winners, a total matched by only two other SEC freshmen in 2026.

The Birmingham, Alabama, native played in every match and started all but one, including each conference game. She opened her career with a goal in the first five minutes of Mississippi State’s season opener against South Alabama; it was also her first game-winner. Against Southern Miss, she recorded two goals and an assist for the first five-point game by a Bulldogs freshman since 2013. She also assisted on the winning goal against Oklahoma State.

Shepherd earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors in September after scoring the winning goal at Ole Miss. She is the third consecutive Mississippi State player to make the conference’s All-Freshman Team and the program’s fifth selection since 2020.

The Bulldogs (9-2-6, 3-1-6 SEC) earned the No. 8 seed in the SEC Tournament in Pensacola, Florida. The schedule lists a first-round game against No. 9 Texas for Sunday, Nov. 8, at 4:30 p.m. Central on the SEC Network.

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