Treena Ferguson’s two goals propels Bulldogs to first win against UT since 2000

Mississippi State junior Treena Ferguson knocked in two goals including a header game-winner in the 85th minute to lead the Bulldogs to a 3-2 victory over eighth-ranked Tennessee on Sunday afternoon at the MSU Soccer Field.
Ferguson tallied the game-winner when she flicked in the direct kick from sophomore Bethany Frazier at 84:13 for the match-clincher for the Maroon and White (2-7, 1-1 SEC).
Mississippi State took a 2-1 lead after the break, getting goals in 61st and 73rd minutes from Ferguson and Jessica Davis, respectively. Ferguson punched in a header off Mariclaire Fancher’s serve across the box, while Davis’ header knocked in a Katie Lynn Harden pass.
Tennessee (4-3-2, 0-1-1 SEC) took all of 1:51 after Davis’ score to tie up the match at 2-2. Sophomore forward Kylee Rossi (Pennington, N.J.) sprinted past the Bulldog defense and scored against MSU goalkeeper Taryn Holland for her second goal of the season.
The Lady Vols took the initial lead with eight seconds to spare before the halftime buzzer. Freshman defender Sarah Jackyra (Apex, N.C.) controlled a failed clearance from the MSU defense and put the 24-yard shot past Bulldog starting netminder Stephanie Davis for her first career goal.
The Orange and White had multiple chances to tie at the end of regulation. In the 86th minute, senior midfielder Ali Christoph (Columbus, Ohio) had a shot blocked. Junior defender Jordan Falcusan (Plymouth, Mich.) tried to put in the rebound, but the Mississippi State defense saved it at the post. A minute later, UT had chances again inside the penalty box. Rossi tried to chip a shot over Holland, but the goalkeeper was able to bat the ball away. Sophomore midfielder Leslie Vineyard (St. Louis, Mo.) attempted a shot on the rebound, but it was blocked by the defense.
Overall, the Lady Vols had a 13-7 advantage in shots and an 8-2 edge in corner kicks. The loss ends the program’s 12-match unbeaten streak in the Magnolia State, which included Tennessee’s 2002 SEC title run. Also stopped was UT’s four-match winning streak over the Bulldogs and a five-match unbeaten streak in the SEC. The 0-1-1 start in the league is the worst in the 11-year history of Tennessee soccer.
Tennessee closes out its six-match road trip next weekend at South Carolina and Florida.

SCORING SUMMARY
TENNESSEE    1 1         2
Mississippi State 0          3          3
UT: Sarah Jackyra (unassisted); 44:52
MSU: Treena Ferguson (Mariclaire Fancher); 60:20
MSU: Jessica Davis (Katie Lynn Harden); 72:39
UT: Kylee Rossi (unassisted); 74:30
MSU: Treena Ferguson (Bethany Frazier); 84:13

Shots:
Tennessee 13, Mississippi State 7.
Corner Kicks: Tennessee 8, Mississippi State 2.
Goalkeeper Stats: Jaimel Johnson (UT) 1 save, 3 goals, 90:00; Stephanie Dallas (MSU), 2 saves, 1 goal, 45:00; Taryn Holland (MSU), 2 saves, 1 goal, 45:00.

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