The Crimson Tide fought hard Tuesday night, but it wasn’t enough to stop an incredible comeback effort from Mississippi State.

Alabama came into the game with a chip on its shoulder, having lost to the Bulldogs just nine days prior. The first time these teams played, Mississippi State ended the Tide’s 28 game home unbeaten streak, beating Alabama 2-0.

The Crimson Tide came out aggressive and got on the board first with a goal from Brooke Steere in the 24th minute. The star defender has now scored in back-to-back games and has recorded all three of her season goals in the last five matches.

The lead carried into halftime, but ended early in the second half when Aitana Martinez-Montoya nailed a penalty kick for Mississippi State.

Neither side could break the 1-1 tie in regulation, so the game went into overtime. Each team’s goalkeeper recorded a save in the two overtime periods, causing the stalemate to be decided in penalty kicks.

Felicia Knox, Marianna Annest, Sydney Japic and Gianna Paul all missed their penalty kicks. The Bulldogs converted on two of their three tries, giving them the win.

“I was very pleased with our performance tonight. I thought we competed and played well. We had a lot of the ball and a ton of chances,” Coach Wes Hart said, following the tough loss.

The Tide had plenty of chances Tuesday, tallying 20 shots, nine of which were on goal. The Bulldogs were held to just eight shots, only two of which were on goal.

Mississippi State goalkeeper Maddy Anderson had a monster performance for the Bulldogs, saving eight shots. Anderson also shut out the Tide for not just the second half, but overtime and in penalties as well.

The 25th ranked Tide fall to a record of 11-5-4 following the loss, and the Bulldogs will advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals, where they’ll take on top seeded Arkansas.

Hart remained positive despite the loss, suggesting that “perhaps a few days of rest and recovery will do us well as we prepare for the NCAA Tournament.”

The Tide will look to regroup during their extended break in an effort to make another deep NCAA Tournament run. Alabama’s next opponent will be revealed on November 6th, the NCAA Tournament selection date.

 

Caden Johnson serves as WVUA-FM’s senior soccer writer. You can follow him on X @CadenLJohnson.