VALDOSTA, Ga. – An absolute battle ended in heartbraking fashion on Sunday afternoon in Valdosta, Ga., as the Mississippi College Lady Choctaws scored in the final three minutes to claim a 1-0 Gulf South Conference victory over the Valdosta State soccer team at The VSU Soccer Complex.
 
After a lengthy defensive struggle that included several near misses on goal and a host of big defensive stops by both teams, it became clear that one goal would likely make the difference.
 
The Blazers saw two key opportunities in the second half, the first of which came at the 60:55 mark after Phoebe Palmer drew a foul just outside the 18-yard box on the right side. Taylor Snell took the free kick and was turned away by a superb Andrea McDonald deflection.
 
Another opportunity came within the final ten minutes, as Mallory McDaniel struck from the edge of the box on the left side. The shot was out of McDonald's reach but struck the crossbar, which set the stage for Emily McNair's game-winner in the 88^th minute.
 
The Blazers matched the Lady Choctaws shot-for-shot throughout most of the afternoon with 11 shots against 14 for MC. VSU keeper Caroline Embler racked up six saves in the contest to complement an impressive defensive effort by the Blazer backfield.
 
With the win Mississippi College improved to 6-1 overall and 5-1 in GSC play. Valdosta State fell to 5-2 overall and 3-2 against conference opponents.

"We really want to try and take some positives from this match today, because we held our own for most of the game," said Head Coach Stephen Andrew after the match. "This was a good test for us to see where we are at as a team and to see if we can compete with those top teams in the conference, and Mississippi College is certainly one of the best teams we've seen all season. It's tough for the girls to see this as a positive result today, but we are closing the gap on some of the big teams in this league."
 
Valdosta State will return to action on the road for a non-conference matchup on Wednesday, September 24, as the team travels to Lakeland, Fla. to face regional opponent Florida Southern. Look for live coverage of the event, right here at www.vstateblazers.com.