Mississippi State Soccer Prepares for Second Round of NCAA Tournament

Mississippi State is having its best-ever season, and it hasn't stopped just yet.

The Bulldogs (12-5-4) recorded their first victory in an NCAA Tournament game in program history last Friday. No. 7-seeded MSU knocked off New Mexico State (13-5-3) by a score of 2-1 to solidify its spot as one of the 32 teams headed to the tournament's second round.

Alivia Buxton scored the team's first goal a little over 44 minutes into the contest with a kick into the bottom right corner of the net, but New Mexico State player Loma McNeese netted the equalizer late in the second half. Rylie Combs ultimately scored the game-winner for Mississippi State as the match reached its final three minutes. Haley McWhirter recorded both assists, and star goalkeeper Maddy Anderson returned to action with two saves.

Now, the Bulldogs will head north to Fayetteville to face off against Memphis (10-5-5). The Tigers upset No. 2-seeded St. Louis with a 1-0 victory last week and have plenty of confidence heading into the matchup. This is the first time that the two teams have faced off this season, but they do share a common regular-season opponent in Ole Miss. MSU beat the Rebels by a score of 1-0 in the Magnolia Cup, while Memphis was handed a 3-0 loss.

Mississippi State hasn't backed down from any competition this season and could continue to make noise in the NCAA Tournament. The team has already made plenty of history, with an incredible turnaround and some hard-fought victories making this season one for the ages. No matter how the matchup ends, it's hard to deny that the program could be building up to become something special for years to come.

The Bulldogs' game against Memphis is set to begin at 4 p.m. CT on Friday. The winner of that matchup will face the winner of a tough contest between No. 3-seeded Arkansas and No. 6-seeded Ohio State on Sunday evening.