Soccer Drops Two

The LSU soccer team climbed all the way to #5 in the polls, and after a wildly successful start to the season, looked forward to the start of SEC play…

LSU opened up SEC play with a resounding thud.

All right, LSU topped Mississippi St 2-0 to get things started, but in their next match against, Ole Miss, the Tigers were thoroughly outplayed by the Rebels. Ole Miss outshot LSU 19-5, and even that might understate just how one-sided the game was.

Somehow, LSU managed to keep the game tied going into the half, but Ole Miss opened up the scoring in the 62^nd minute when Molly Martin’s header found the back of the net. Instead of waking up the Tigers, if anything, the goal only served to give Ole Miss an even greater advantage.

The Tigers simply could not apply any consistent pressure, spending most of the time in their own end defending instead of pressing for the equalizer. The dam broke in the 76^th minute, as Channing Foster scored front point blank to give the Rebels the 2-0 margin of victory.

Hey, no big deal right? Winning on the road is tough. LSU returned home to the friendly confines of the LSU Soccer Complex on Sunday to face Georgia and get back to their winning ways. After all, one loss is not that big of a deal in the overall season. It was bound to happen.

In an effort not to repeat the prior game, LSU came out firing on cylinders. The Tigers dominated possession throughout the first half and had the bulk of the chances.

The problem was, Abby Boyan won a penalty kick on one of Goergia’s rare challenges, and with Daniella Murguia’s conversion, the Bulldogs went up in the 12^th minute. So, despite controlling the run of play, LSU found itself playing from behind again.

This time, LSU converted. Rammie Noel put in the equalizer off the rebound of Shannon Cooke’s free kick, and the game was tied after 30 minutes.

From there, LSU sort of lost the thread. After keeping the ball almost exclusively on the offensive end, the game became far more open to close the first and for the entire second. Instead of controlling possession, now LSU traded excellent chances with Georgia.

Both teams would bang multiple shots off the frame, but the goalkeepers held firm. Molle Swift made four saves, including two in which her defense completely hung her out to dry and she was the only line of defense. Not to be outdone, Emory Wegener stopped 10 shots, a personal best.

The game dragged on to overtime, and as the first frame seemed to be winding down, with LSU having the bulk of the chancs, suddenly a poor clearance gave Georgia its first good chance of the overtime period, which Mollie Belisile converted for the game winner in the 100^th minute.

It was a crushing 2-1 overtime loss for the Tigers. And that top ten ranking is just a memory.

LAST WEEK

Loss to Ole Miss, 2-0

Overtime loss to Georgia, 2-1

THIS WEEK

Friday at Alabama