Following a road loss to Arkansas on Thursday, the Alabama women’s soccer team (8-7, 3-3) secured its eighth home win of the season with a 1-0 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-6-3, 1-4-1) during Alabama’s Power of Pink match.

The win moved the Crimson Tide into fourth in the SEC West with four games to play.

The first half was quiet for both sides, except for one shot on goal for the Bulldogs that would have put them on top if not for an impressive save by Alabama goalkeeper McKinley Crone. Crone tallied three saves on the afternoon.

Alabama head coach Wes Hart said he wasn’t surprised by the scoreless first half, given that it was a hot afternoon in Tuscaloosa and that both teams were coming off of hard-fought matches on Thursday.

The second half was a different story.

Alabama dominated the final 45 minutes of the match, attempting 10 shots and winning five corner kicks.

In the 72nd minute, after an attempted clearance by the Bulldogs, forward Riley Tanner fired a shot from the top of the box that deflected off the chest of midfielder Reyna Reyes and into the net.

It was Tanner’s second game-winning goal of the season, with the other against Missouri two weeks ago. Tanner is now tied with Reyes for first on the team in game-winning goals.

Alabama finished the match with a 10-3 advantage in shots on goal over Mississippi State.

Head referee Matthew Thompson handed out three yellow cards in the game, including one to Alabama’s Sasha Pickard.

However, Hart said he was pleased with his team’s ability to stay aggressive in the second half.

“Really pleased with how we grew into the game,” Hart said. “A little bit of a slow start, but as the game wore on, we got better and better. They are very stingy defensively. They frustrated us in the first half, but we found ways to break them down in the second.”

The Power of Pink match win moved Alabama’s home record to 8-2 this season.

The Crimson Tide’s next match will be senior night in College Station against the Texas A&M Aggies, who have lost five of their last six games.

The match is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. CT. The match will be available to stream on SEC Network Plus.

Questions? Email the Sports desk at [email protected].