Mississippi State Soccer Heads to Birmingham for First Road Game of Season

Mississippi State’s women’s soccer team will play its first road game of the season Sunday when it faces UAB in Birmingham, Alabama. The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. Central Time and will be streamed on ESPN+, according to university officials.

The Bulldogs (1-0-0) are coming off a 3-0 victory in their season opener against South Alabama. Head coach Kevin O’Brien earned his first win at MSU during that match. The team took 26 shots, with 12 on target, and held South Alabama to just four attempts. All three goals were scored by newcomers, including freshman Kati Anne Shepherd, who scored five minutes into her collegiate debut.

UAB enters the game after a 4-2 win over Georgia State. The Blazers scored through a penalty kick and an own goal by Georgia State. They are 1-0-0 on the season and return 19 players from last year, including seven starters. The team’s top three scorers—Lailah Stewart, Avery Berryman, and Ava Mills—were all named to the American Conference Preseason Watchlist.

Mississippi State’s defense has been strong early this season, not allowing a shot on goal in its last match. Under goalkeeper coach Kat Stratton, the Bulldogs have held opponents to fewer than 10 shots per game for four straight seasons. The team’s recent success includes holding South Alabama without a shot on goal, a feat MSU last achieved on September 1, 2022.

The Bulldogs will return home next week to open a six-match homestand, beginning with a game against Arkansas State on Thursday, Aug. 20, which will be televised on SEC Network+. The team aims to improve its series record against UAB, which is currently 2-4-0 overall and has lost four straight to the Blazers, with the last meeting in 2010 ending in a 3-0 UAB victory.

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