STARKVILLE – After 81 minutes of a scoreless battle with the Samford Bulldogs, the Mississippi State soccer program quickly flipped the match on its head, scoring two goals in less than two minutes to secure the victory in its first exhibition match of the season.

Thursday night’s contest not only was the first of the season for State, but also marked the first time in 12 years the Bulldog squads faced off.

In the opening frame of the season for MSU, State attacked the opposing end consistently throughout the first 45 minutes. After the crossbar denied a pair of prime chances, State went into the half holding a scoreless draw with the visiting Bulldogs.

Sophomore goalkeeper Mac Titus switched out with Maddy Anderson to start the second frame. The Chelsea, Ala., native would stand in goal for the entire second half, aiding Anderson in securing the first shutout of the season for MSU.

With eight minutes left in the match, freshman Maggie Wadsworth broke the 81-minute deadlock to give the Maroon and White the one-goal lead off an assist from Haley McWhirter. Less than two minutes later, State found the back of the net again, this time off a goal from sophomore Hannah Johnson.

Mississippi State now moves to 6-2-1 all time in the series over Samford. The second, and final exhibition match for head coach James Armstrong‘s crew will be Sunday afternoon, Aug. 14, against Southeastern Louisiana. The match will be the 10^th total meeting between the Dawgs and the Lions with MSU holding a 3-0-0 series lead. The match is scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

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