Who loves you baby?

No, no, I didn't interview Kojak. Don't be silly. He's not even a real person. Although that would be kind of awesome.

I have something even better.

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Some very sad news from LSU today, as Kellie Murphy, a rising Junior on the LSU soccer team, and two of her siblings were struck by a car in South Africa while attending the World Cup with their father and another sibling. Nicole Murphy, a 3rd year med student at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, was killed instantly while Kellie suffered a mild concussion and LSU Sophomore Brian Murphy remains in critical condition in a hospital in South Africa. The Murphy's are a big LSU family. 5 of the 6 Murphy kids are at or have graduated from LSU, and the youngest, Danielle Murphy, will be joining the LSU soccer team as a freshman this season.

From LSUSports.net

The Murphy family is incurring extremely high expenses as they work to bring their injured and deceased children home to Lafayette, where they reside. In particular, there are concerns about health-care and repatriation costs, as it is unclear what will be covered by the family's insurance policy, since they were in another country when the accident took place.

For those who would like to make a contribution to assist the Murphy family, a fund has been set up through Home Bank. The account number for the Murphy Family Support Fund is 2057873802.  A check can be dropped off at any Home Bank location (account number must be included) or can be mailed to:

Home Bank
Account #: 2057873802
Attn:  Murphy Family Support Fund
P.O. Box 81459
Lafayette, LA  70598

There are three Home Bank locations in Baton Rouge, for those who prefer to drop off a check in person:

16969 Old Jefferson Hwy at Highland Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70817, 225-364-2900
10563 S. Glenstone Place at Bluebonnet Boulevard, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, 225-364-2901
5302 Corporate Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70809, 225-300-8399

For a sport that probably only exists to satisfy Title IX, LSU Soccer does pretty well for itself. Coach Brian Lee has built the program from nothing into an annual national contender and hosting NCAA opening rounds on campus. And they have that awesome logo. Part of that success comes from bringing in truly epic recruiting classes. According to those who know about such things, today coach Lee pulled in the #1 players from Louisiana, Florida, and South Carolina, along with 4 of the top 15 from Texas. We'll need it after losing 8 seniors this year. After the break, Coach Lee talks about the class and the full signee list.

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And so it begins... The LSU fall sports season is officially a go!

I don't have a whole lot to say about the women's soccer team.  I like women.  I like soccer.  I like LSU.  All three in one place?  Sounds like I have plans for this evening, as I curl up with my computer, logged onto LSU Sports Net.  Come on, it is the end of summer and the return of LSU sports!

Since I can't claim to be an expert on collegiate soccer, here's a video of Mo Isom, our goalie, scoring a goal.  That, my friends, is pretty awesome*. 

 *Yes, I know we've shown it before.  So what?  It's a GOALIE scoring a goal.  You're lucky I don't post this every single day. 

Head Coach Brian Lee will lead the Tigers in their attempt to win the SEC West for a 3rd consecutive time.  All-American midfielder Malorie Rutledge may be the best soccer player in LSU history.

LSU has a number of athletic programs which have been successful in recent years.  You all know about our football exploits this decade.  You all know about our resurgent baseball program.  You all know we won the SEC in basketball this year.  Did you know we have a pretty darn respectable women's soccer team?

Last year's squad won the SEC West.  It was our second consecutive SEC West championship.  We did not win the conference.  Unfortunately, Florida was an undefeated juggernaut in SEC soccer last year, and the entire SEC is still well behind the soccer hotbeds on the coasts.

The 2008 team finished 14-4-2 on the season, and made the NCAA Tournament, losing to the Washington Huskies in the first round in a heart-breaking overtime loss in which the Tigers held a 2-0 lead into the second half.  The loss ended the Tigers' season and knocked them out of the top 25 in the country.  This year's soccer team will look to improve on the encouraging 2008 showing.

They will try to do so while being led by reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Year Malorie Rutledge, who led the nation last year with an average of 0.90 assists per game and scored a lot of goals too.

The team also returns fellow All-SEC selections Melissa Clarke at midfield and Mo Isom in goal.  Isom was 3rd team All-SEC goalkeeper, and the 1st and 2nd teamers were seniors, while Isom was just a freshman.  

The season gets started on Friday with a scrimmage at home against Texas.  After that, the regular season starts on Friday, August 21, against Memphis.  That game is also being played in Baton Rouge.  A little later in the season, the Tigers will go on a road trip to Durham, North Carolina, to face off against soccer powerhouses Duke and UNC in a Friday/Sunday weekend series.  The conference schedule begins Friday, September 25 against Georgia.  Season tickets are very reasonably priced at $50 for adults, which also comes with season tickets to the LSU volleyball schedule.

We here at ATVS want to bring you more comprehensive coverage of LSU athletics, and we will check in with the soccer team every so often.  They come to Alabama on October 2, and I may have to get out to see them.