STARKVILLE, Miss. – A back-and-forth affair between Auburn and Mississippi State ultimately resulted in a 3-2 loss for the Tigers Thursday night at the MSU Soccer Field.
Tied 2-2 in the final minutes of the game, Mississippi State scored the go-ahead goal on an Auburn clearance that bounced off a Bulldog forward from just outside the 18-yard box and into the goal.
"Certainly our effort was great tonight, it was just a heartbreaker," head coach Karen Hoppa said. "Unfortunately we gave away a couple opportunities on their goal, and credit to Mississippi State to put them away. It was just an unlucky situation at the end against the run of play."
Seniors Bri Folds and Jessie Gerow accounted for the scoring for the Tigers, while Hailey Whitaker chipped in with an assist.
Mississippi State (7-5-1, 2-2-1 SEC) struck first with a goal in the 22nd minute, but Auburn (6-5-2, 3-2-0 SEC) was quick to answer as Folds bent the equalizer into the upper-90 off a free kick less than two minutes later. The goal was Folds' team-high sixth of the season and 24th of her career.
The Tigers came out in the second half and took a 2-1 lead in the 58th minute. Whitaker stepped in front of a failed clearance from Mississippi State and found Gerow in space in front of the net. The senior forward finished passed the goalkeeper just inside the post.
Like Auburn answered in the first half, Mississippi State did the same in the second. The Bulldogs evened the score, 2-2, on a header off a flip throw in the 64th minute.
Still tied with 15 minutes remaining, Kate Hart smothered a rebounded effort from the top of the box to keep the score even. Ten minutes later, Gerow rose up and got her head on a corner, but the shot hit off the crossbar and went out of play.
Mississippi State then scored the aforementioned game-winner minutes later.
"It was a really physical game, so I think the big thing is going to be our recovery," Hoppa added. "We'll try and focus in on a better performance on Sunday."
Auburn returns to The Plains to host No. 13 Texas A&M (9-2-3-, 3-1-1 SEC) Sunday at 4 p.m. CT at the Auburn Soccer Complex. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.