University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Soccer Travels To Face In-State Foe Mississippi State
9/9/2021 4:52:00 PM | Women's Soccer
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Golden Eagles remain on the road for the second of a three-game away stand as they head to Starkville, taking on the Bulldogs of Mississippi State on Friday, Sep. 10 at 7 p.m.
"This is an exciting match between two tough MS teams. It's going to be a great atmosphere. We are expecting our team to show up big and play our game. Control what we can control," said assistant coach Carly Mauldin.
'We've been growing every day and have been getting better as a team. The freshmen are really stepping up in games and in practice," started Captain Madisyn Flammia. "I feel that they are learning a lot and also helping us learn a lot as older players as well. We are pumped to play Mississippi State!"
Series History: Mississippi State leads the series, 8-2-2. The first game in the series was on Sep. 3, 2002, as the Golden Eagles went on to win 3-2 in Starkville.
Last Meeting: Southern Miss and Miss. State last met on Aug. 16, 2018, in Starkville as the Bulldogs won, 3-0.
Last Time In Hattiesburg: Previously in Hattiesburg on Sep. 4, 2016, Mississippi State won the match, 1-0. This was the first loss of the season for the Golden Eagles.
Freshmen On Fire: Over the past weekend as USM won both matches against Little Rock (2-0) and Jackson State (6-0), it was the freshmen again who continued to contribute in the attack, scoring three of the eight total goals. Technayda Cobyte, Ilana Izquierdo and Ember Temple each notched a goal. Temple scored her first goal in Black and Gold in the 80th minute against JSU in outrageous fashion as she received a cross-field ball and volleyed it past the Tiger goalkeeper.
To The Top: Freshmen Ilana Izquierdo leads the Conference USA in both goals scored, 5, and total points, 13. The Colombian continued her offensive presence as she tallied two assists and a goal over the weekend. She has now contributed either a goal or an assist in the last four games for Southern Miss.
Goalkeeper of the Week: Junior Alex Helbling was named the C-USA Goalkeeper of the Week for the third week of the season. The transfer from Richmond earned her first two starts over the weekend for the Golden Eagles and did so in a memorable fashion, posting two clean sheets. In two games, Helbling tallied nine saves and faced 16 shots on target.
Latin Connection: The combination of Ariel Diaz and Ilana Izquierdo is quickly becoming a potent attacking duo as the two have seven goals and eight assists between them. Diaz is currently second in the C-USA in assists, 5, and assists per game at, 0.83. The Texan has netted twice this season and has notched nine points.
For Southern Miss Soccer updates, follow the team's Twitter account, @SouthernMissSoc, and check the main athletics site at SouthernMiss.com.
