By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A bout with an SEC school is on the books for the Tennessee Tech soccer team Thursday evening as the Golden Eagles will head south to Starkville for a matchup with No. 20 Mississippi State. Kickoff from MSU Soccer Field is set for 6:30 p.m. CT.
The match will be streamed live on SEC Network+. Click here to watch. Live stats will also be available. Click here to view.
A look at Tennessee Tech
The Golden Eagles (0-3-1) meet Mississippi State on the heels of a 3-2 defeat at Middle Tennessee on Sunday to tie a bow on the second week of the regular season. Tech's two-goal effort marked the club's second such output over the first four matches after putting up a pair of scores in the club's home opener against Miami (OH) on Aug. 18.
In Sunday's battle with the Blue Raiders, Tech split the pipes in the final minute of each half with Anna Baker doing the honors in the first and Allison Lee finding the back of the net in the second. Baker's goal was her first-career score, while Lee's first this season was her fourth in her TTU tenure.
Neve Renwick's two scores and Cheyenne McCloud's equalizer in the 81st minute of Tech's draw with Miami are the other three Golden Eagle goals this season. Tech's five net-finders are tied for the second most in the OVC.
Renwick is the conference leader in shots with 14 and tries on-goal with eight.
Defensively, Maggie Conrad's 28 saves are the most in the league.
A look at No. 20 Mississippi State
The Bulldogs (3-1-0) will look to bounce back after suffering their first loss of the season behind a 2-1 defeat at Wake Forest on Sunday. Deadlocked at 1-1 in the tilt's waning moments, the Demon Deacons found the back of the net in the 85th minute to slip past MSU.
Mississippi State's surge to start the season saw the squad secure three straight shutouts in victories over Baylor, Northwestern State and Charlotte. Goalkeeper Maddy Anderson is currently tied for first in the SEC with three clean sheets. The 5-foot-8 graduate student possesses a 0.50 goals against average and a .833 save percentage.
Offensively, MSU's eight goals have come from eight different Bulldogs. Alivia Buxton and Ilana Izquierdo each have a score and an assist to lead the club with three points apiece.
Inside the series
Tech and Mississippi State will meet on the pitch for just the second-time ever. The Bulldogs bested the purple and gold 4-0 in the 1997 season finale on Nov. 2 in Starkville. Thursday's match will mark TTU's first interaction with an SEC foe in two years after traveling to Tennessee on Sept. 4, 2022.
Photo by Jim Dillon
