STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi
State used a strong first-half performance to defeat ULM 3-0 Friday on a soggy
evening at the MSU Soccer Complex. The Bulldogs scored all three goals in the opening
half, two in the final five minutes, to build an early lead and improve to 4-0
on the season.
In its toughest match of the early season, ULM regrouped in the second
half and held the Bulldogs scoreless for the final 45 minutes of the match. The
Warhawk goalkeeping tandem of senior Alex Holland and junior Karlin Aloisio fended
off 10 Mississippi State shots on goal in the match. Both goalkeepers finished
with five saves.
Mississippi State struck first in the 12th minute when Honeye Heydari took
a long pass from Elisabeth Sullivan and snuck past the ULM defense and scored in
the right side of the net.
The Bulldogs added a pair of goals in the final five minutes of opening
half to take a 3-0 advantage into halftime. Amy Hoover chipped a shot from the
top of the box out of the reach Holland at the 40:40 mark as Mississippi State
took a 2-0 advantage.
Mississippi State added a goal from Sullivan, who dribbled past the ULM
defense for an easy tap-in with just 34 seconds remaining before halftime. Sullivan
led Mississippi State with a goal and two assists in the match.
ULM struggled to muster much offense against a speedy Bulldog defense with
just four shots, all in the second half. Sophomore Bethany Park had the
Warhawks' lone shot on goal.
The Warhawks wrap up a two-game road trip in Mississippi on Monday
against Southern Miss at 1 p.m.
