The Mississippi State women’s soccer team saw its best season in program history come to an end on Sunday night, falling to Notre Dame in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Both teams made quick turnarounds from Friday night’s second-round wins with the Fighting Irish finding a way to stun the favored Bulldogs. Two first-half goals by Izzy Engle and Grace Restovich were enough to not only eliminate Mississippi State but become the first away team to win in Starkville this season. Going into the game, Mississippi State had not allowed a single goal when playing at home.
While the loss put a stop to Mississippi State’s quest for a national championship, not all was bleak. After the game, an emotional group of coaches and players spoke with reporters and recounted the bright spots of what was a historic year.
“It’s just a blessing. Looking back from our first year to now, I never would’ve thought that we’d be SEC champs, go 10-0 in SEC play, and get to the Sweet 16 in the second year in a row,” senior goalkeeper Maddy Anderson said. “It’s so amazing to watch the growth of this team as a whole…and just the growth of the community round soccer in Starkville. I’m so thankful I got to be a part of it.”
Finishing the regular season ranked in the top five nationally, the Bulldogs’ 19-3-0 record marked the highest win total in school history. The group added wins over Southern University and Washington in the postseason as head coach James Armstrong became the program’s winningest coach.
“Coaching is such a reward when you’re surrounded by incredible people,” Armstrong said. “These girls put so much effort and hard work into what they do every day. It’s an honor to coach them, and the big thing for our staff is that we get to prepare them.”
In addition to reaching milestones on the field, off-the-field records were broken too. Throughout 2024, fans packed the stands with eight consecutive top-10 crowds and four separate all-time attendance records to close out the season.
