STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State closed its women’s soccer regular season Sunday, Nov. 1, with a 1-0 win over No. 6 Alabama in Starkville, a result that lifts the Bulldogs into the SEC Tournament as the No. 8 seed next week in Pensacola, Florida.
Chiara Tappe scored the only goal in the 25th minute. After her first try was saved for a corner, Kyli Switalski sent the ball into the six-yard box and Tappe rose over the defense and the keeper to head it in. It was the first official goal of her career; an earlier one this fall came in a match against Arkansas State that was called off for weather.
The Bulldogs outshot the Crimson Tide 10-5 before halftime, but Alabama pushed hard late, putting seven shots on goal in the last 20 minutes. Goalkeeper Jenny Harrison made six saves in all, three after the break, against an Alabama side backed by keeper Madi Munguia. The clean sheet was Harrison’s eighth of the year, fourth-most in a season in program history.
Head coach Kevin O’Brien picked up his first win over a team ranked in the national coaches poll. Alabama, now 14-4, came in fifth in the RPI, making this State’s first win of the year over an RPI top-50 opponent and a lift for its NCAA Tournament case.
Mississippi State finished 9-2-6 overall and 3-1-6 in the SEC, good for a tie for seventh after the Bulldogs had been picked 14th in the preseason coaches poll. That climb matches the 2023 team for the biggest jump past a preseason projection in program history. Against ranked opponents this fall, the Bulldogs went 1-0-3.
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