In one of the most heartbreaking matches of a still-young soccer season, the Miami Hurricanes collapsed in the final 40 seconds Sunday, falling to the Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-1-1), 2-1.
Coming off a convincing draw against No. 5 Alabama, the ‘Canes brought their grit to their match against Mississippi State.
A defensive opening snapped when UM (1-2-3) capitalized in the 19th minute off a Bulldogs mishap, leading to a goal by defender Emma Tucker. This was the Hurricanes’ lone goal of the game.
This match was physical, highlighted by a combined six yellow cards, one red card and 27 fouls. Tension built up in the second half, with three Miami yellow cards culminating in goalkeeper Melissa Dagenais receiving a red card in the 89th minute.
One notable discrepancy between the teams was their respective shots on goal. Where the Bulldogs racked up 26 shots total, Miami struggled to post four and recorded a single strike in the second half.
The ‘Canes led with less than three minutes to play. However, the Bulldogs’ resilience stole away the momentum. Off a penalty kick, junior star forward Aitana Martinez-Montoya sent the equalizer into the back net, knotting the score 1-1.
Just over a minute later, Mississippi State’s sophomore midfielder Ally Perry capitalized. With an opportunity to seize the moment, Perry sailed her free kick into Miami’s nylon, securing her team a 2-1 lead.
Miami returns home for its next game, facing an in-state rival in FIU as it closes out non-conference play. The match kicks off at 7 p.m. at FIU Soccer Stadium.