CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Mississippi State soccer program kicks off its regular season on the road. The Bulldogs will travel to the Sunshine State for a pair of season-opening matches against Miami (Thursday, Aug. 18) and FIU (Sunday, Aug. 21).

It will be only the second meeting ever between State and both South Beach teams, having last played Miami 22 years ago and FIU back in 2003. The Bulldogs lost the first meeting with the Hurricanes but hold the 1-0-0 series lead over the Panthers.

Last season, State finished four goals higher than The U, and recorded 4.7 more shots per game than Miami. On the defensive end, both programs finished even with four shutouts-a-piece. While State posted an extra shot per game, FIU held the advantage in shots on goal percentage.

W, 2-0 vs. Samford | Highlights (Exhibition)
MSU netted two goals in less than two minutes to secure the win over the visiting Bulldogs.

W, 4-0 vs. Southeastern Louisiana | Highlights (Exhibition)
Three different Bulldogs found the back of the net. Hannah Telleysh secured her first brace of the season, scoring two goals – one in each half.

Twenty Bulldogs return to Starkville for the 2022 campaign, including a graduate senior class that played more than 5,000 minutes combined in the 2021 fall season.

State returns all five student-athletes that scored last season, led by Alyssa D’Aloise and Andrea Tyrrell who logged multiple goals for the Maroon and White. Maddy Anderson has six career shutouts, which is tied for ninth in MSU history. Her four shutouts in 2021 are tied for eighth in single-season history.

Miranda Carrasco‘s assist on MSU’s go-ahead goal in last year’s upset win over Ole Miss became her 11^th total as a Bulldog. The tally successfully landed the fifth-year senior in the MSU career top 10 for total assists. Of the three other Dawgs who sit with Carrasco at 11 total assists, Carrasco reached the mark in at least 29 fewer matches than the other trio.

Last season, Ally Perry was named SEC Freshman of the Week (Oct. 4) after assisting on the game-winning goal against Kentucky (Sept. 30). Her service against Wildcats was volleyed into the net by D’Aloise for her first career goal. Perry ended her first season in the Maroon and White as the freshman leader in points (4), finished second overall in assists (4) and concluded her freshman campaign third in shots (18). For her efforts, Perry earned SEC All-Freshman honors.

Mississippi State will play four teams ranked or receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches’ poll this season: No. 8 Arkansas, No. 12 South Carolina, No. 18 Ole Miss along with Auburn. The matches against both the Rebels and the Tigers will be back-to-back road trips for the Bulldogs.

For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, visit HailState.com or search for “HailStateSOC” on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.