Alabama Soccer Secures SEC West with 4-1 Win at Mississippi State
Make it 11 wins in a row for coach Wes Hart and Alabama Soccer as the Crimson Tide defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs 4-1 in Starkville on Thursday evening.
Alabama not only remained undefeated in SEC play, but it secured the SEC West.
The entire game was a physical battle between the two teams as they combined for 21 fouls and three yellow cards.
Hart told BamaCentral after the game that while physicality is a part of the game, he felt that the Crimson Tide was too invested in that aspect early on.
"We knew we needed to be able to embrace that physical challenge, but I think we got roped into it a little too much in the first half," Hart said. "We didn't play any soccer. It was more about trying to battle and fight and compete. We need that, but we also need to bring some soccer in."
Even with all the physicality, both team were able to get on the board during the first half.
Gianna Paul knocked a shot into the bottom right corner during the 11th minute after receiving a pass from Felicia Knox.
Haley McWhirter then responded in the 35th minute with a goal that bounced off Crone's hands. The teams went into halftime tied 1-1.
Once the second half started, though, the Crimson Tide took control and played more of the soccer that Hart was looking for, scoring its next three goals in the final 30 minutes of the second half.
Riley Mattingly Parker netted her 12th goal of the season off a header in the 64th minute; Ashlynn Serepca buried a shot into the bottom left corner in the 76th minute; and Riley Tanner provided the exclamation point in the 89th minute.
"It's kinda pick your poison. Who do you want to focus on? Who do you want to key on?" Hart said about the offensive weapons. "Stop Felicia, and Riley's gonna hurt you; stop Riley and GP [Gianna Paul] is gonna hurt you; stop GP and Ashlynn's gonna hurt you; stop Ashlynn and Riley Tanner's gonna hurt you."
In addition to the scoring, Knox, Parker, Paul and Gessica Skorka each earned an assist. That gave Knox her 15th assist on the year, extending her NCAA lead.
"It's so important that we have so much depth on our team and can beat you in a variety of ways," Hart said.
At 15-1-1, the SEC West champions have two final regular season games that could give the team even better position going in the conference and NCAA tournament.
Alabama hosts Florida, which is last in the SEC East, and Auburn, last in the SEC West.
The only team standing in the Crimson Tide's way of the top seed for the SEC Tournament is the Tennessee Volunteers (10-3-2, 4-0 SEC East), whose last two games are against the second and third-best teams in their division: Vanderbilt and South Carolina.
The Tide will take on Florida (2-12-1) this Sunday at home for the final home match of the regular season. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. CT
Want to see the Crimson Tide or other teams? SI Tickets
