Mizzou soccer humbled by No. 4 Mississippi St. 5-0 on the road

The Bulldogs showed why they’re a national title contender

Over the last four games Mizzou (4-8-2, 2-4-1 SEC) soccer has looked better with each outing. Which is why it was a particularly bad time to run into the juggernaut of No. 4 Mississippi State (12-1, 6-0 SEC). The Bulldogs dominated the matchup in Starkville, 5-0.

Mississippi State dominated this one practically from the jump, controlling the shot battle 20-3. The first goal came at the 20th minute when Hannah Johnson buried a shot in the top left corner.

The Bulldogs wasted no time with goal No. 2, as on the very next shot Zoe Main doubled the lead. The Tigers minimized the damage heading into the half, turning away several opportunities.

The home team added another goal in the 3rd minute of the second half, as Macey Hodge delivered a pass to Aitana Martinez-Montoya, who slipped it into the bottom right corner for the 3-0 lead.

After a key save from Kate Phillips, Mississippi State added their fourth goal of the night courtesy of Ally Perry on a free kick in the 63rd minute. This marked Perry’s eighth goal of the year, extending her lead over the rest of the Bulldog roster.

The final goal came courtesy of Maggie Wadsworth in the top left corner of the goal, slipping it past Phillips.

This game marked the return of Tigers defender Rachel Kutella, but her expertise was only able to do so much to fend off the fearsome Bulldog offense. The Tigers were still shorthanded, left without Kylee Simmons for the third consecutive game. Midfielder Keegan Good took the reigns, taking two of Mizzou’s three shots throughout the match.

Kate Phillips made her seventh straight start, doing her best to fight off the Mississippi State attack. The sophomore made four saves despite allowing five goals. This brings Phillips to 32 saves throughout SEC play.

This leaves the Tigers at 2-4-1 in SEC games, sitting at 7 points and 12th in the conference. One of the teams below them is their next opponent: Oklahoma (8-6-1, 1-5-1 SEC). The two will matchup at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18 over Homecoming Weekend at Audrey J. Walton Stadium.