The difference between the numbers six and seven couldn’t be any greater for the LSU soccer team.
In the Southeastern Conference Tournament, teams seeded one through six receive a first-round bye, whereas teams ranked seven through 10 begin play on Nov. 4.
The Tigers (9-7-2, 5-4-1 SEC) are tied with Georgia for sixth in the league with one game left in the regular season, but a 2-1 loss to the Bulldogs on Oct. 25 serves as the tiebreaker that bumps them down to seventh place.
While Georgia will have to lose or draw against No. 7 Florida to create an opening for LSU, the Tigers have to come away with a victory tonight at No. 23 Texas A&M (13-4-1, 8-2 SEC) if they are to leap into sixth place.
“It’s a big goal to get a bye in the first round of the SEC Tournament,” said LSU coach Brian Lee. “We feel like we and Georgia both have big challenges on Thursday night, so if we get a tie or a win, we like our chances to finish top six.”
But LSU and Georgia won’t be waging the only battle for seeding Thursday night. Oddly enough, Florida and Texas A&M are tied for first place in the SEC, and the Aggies require a win and a Gator loss or draw to claim the regular-season conference crown.
Lee said his players are aware of the situation and the benefits of capturing a first-round bye. Senior goalkeeper Megan Kinneman stressed the importance of an extra two days of rest after a bye and needing only three wins instead of four to bring home the league title.
“If we can bump up into that next spot where we don’t have to play the round before the quarterfinals, we feel like our legs will be fresher and that we’ll have more energy,” said junior midfielder Jodi Calloway.
This week, every SEC team will play Thursday instead of the usual Friday and Sunday slate. Though the Tigers have a short week to prepare for Texas A&M, Lee saw a positive in the altered schedule.
“There’s a benefit that it’s only the one game instead of the two,” Lee said. “We’ve only got the one full practice and a little bit of a walkthrough, and the biggest thing is making sure we have our legs both ready and fresh for Thursday night.”
Lee praised the Aggies for their athleticism and noted their improvement on the pitch. Calloway, a native of Denton, Texas, said Texas A&M has always been a consistently potent squad.
LSU’s focus in the season finale will be securing the No. 6 seed, a far cry from when it led the SEC during its six-game unbeaten streak to start league play.
A four-game losing skid sent the Tigers tumbling down the standings, and tonight’s tussle with Texas A&M is the final chance for them to pick up the pieces before the conference tournament.
“After each game, it’s just trying to figure out what we did wrong and what we can do better in the next game,” Kinneman said. “Right now, it’s very crucial because if we get this win against A&M, hopefully we can get the streak going the other way.”
“We feel like we and Georgia both have big challenges on Thursday night, so if we get a tie or a win, we like our chances to finish top six.”
Who: LSU (9-7-2, 5-4-1 SEC) vs. No. 23 Texas A&M (13-4-1, 8-2 SEC)
When: Thursday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m.
Where: Ellis Field in College Station, Texas