Expansion Makes SEC Soccer Even More Competitive

By Adam Minichino

Neil Macdonald and Becky Burleigh agree: Adding quality members to the Southeastern Conference is a good thing.

Macdonald, the Mississippi State University women’s soccer coach, and Burleigh, the women’s soccer coach at the University of Florida, have watched parity take over the SEC and make every Friday-Sunday weekend in the

league a battle for survival. The addition this season of the University of Missouri and Texas A&M University, two programs accustomed to success in the Big 12 Conference, have made things that much tougher for SEC rivals.

Entering action on Oct. 19, Texas A&M (#9) and Missouri (#16) are two of the SEC’s highest-ranked teams in the NSCAA poll. At #11, Florida is the other team ranked in the top 25. In fact, Texas A&M (14-2-1, 8-1-1 SEC) defeated Vanderbilt 4-0 on Oct. 14 to clinch the SEC Western Division title with three matches remaining, while Missouri, which was picked fifth in the SEC’s Eastern Division in the preseason poll, is right behind Florida at 13-3 and 8-2.

“Both teams are very well coached,” said Macdonald, whose team lost to Missouri and Texas A&M 2-0. “Missouri is incredibly fast and athletic. They are a quite direct team. They play the ball into the front three and off of them. They have some very good individual players. They are fast, po…