Mississippi State beat Florida on Friday - just not on the scoreboard.
The Bulldogs (8-2-1, 0-2-1 Southeastern Conference) outplayed No. 7 UF (8-3-1, 2-0-1 SEC) for the whole game, but a late goal by forward Lindsay Thompson helped the Gators leave Starkville, Miss., with a 1-1 tie.
"We were lucky to come away with a tie," UF coach Becky Burleigh said. "We really had a tough time with the field conditions. We weren't able to play our game."
Torrential rains in Starkville the past two weeks created a muddy pitch, and the field's turf began to come apart as players made their cuts. Players from both teams slipped many times, and the ball occasionally stopped rolling after being stuck in the mud.
"If you tried to change directions, you pretty much lost your footing," Burleigh said.
The tie broke the the Gators' 22-game SEC regular-season win streak as well as a 17-game conference losing streak for the Bulldogs.
The field conditions caused both teams to pass the ball more and dribble it less, negating the skill of a player with a good touch like forward Erika Tymrak.
"You can't move as much as you'd normally move because your feet are stuck," Thompson said.
Burleigh and UF players said Mississippi State handled the game's conditions better than Florida did.
"They really knew their field a lot better than us," goalkeeper Katie Fraine said. "It seemed like they were even used to it, if you can get used to a field like that."
MSU surprised UF from the start, putting pressure on Fraine with five first-half shots on net, including a 19th-minute goal from Kat Walsh.
The goal came after UF defender Kayla Bala slipped and turned the ball over to Walsh.
Florida defenders struggled to control the ball during last weekend's wins against Kentucky and Vanderbilt. After the Vanderbilt game, Burleigh said the defense needed to be more alert while making their first touch because opposing forwards usually apply pressure.
The defense's lack of focus will surely be addressed since it cost Florida points in the conference standings Friday.
The Gators were lucky to only be down 1-0 in the first half, as the Bulldogs were awarded a penalty kick in the 17th minute. Walsh took the shot, but failed to even make Fraine work as she shot it over the goalpost.
The pressure on Fraine continued throughout the match, but she hung tough and recorded 10 saves.
"We have a really young defense and they're still learning," Fraine said.
UF had a few opportunities but failed to capitalize.
A cross to Natalia Torosian in the 42nd minute gave the midfielder a look at an open net, but her header sailed over the goal.
The Bulldogs looked poised for a win until an MSU player committed a foul on defender Tricia Townsend while Townsend was attempting to make a cross inside the MSU penalty box.
Thompson, who gave UF a win on Sept. 25 against Kentucky with a goal off a penalty kick in overtime, tied the game in the 85th minute on a similar shot.
