Friday nights have not been kind to the LSU soccer team in 2013.
The Tigers (5-3-1, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) are 1-2-1 in Friday games, being outscored 2-6. With SEC foe Tennessee (6-2-1, 1-0 SEC) paying a visit to Baton Rouge at 7 p.m. tonight, it’s a trend LSU will have to discontinue.
“I think it’s something all teams struggle with, trying to bring energy from the beginning of the game,” said junior midfielder Jodi Calloway. “From here on out we’ve got to bring the energy just like we did against Vanderbilt [last Saturday]. I think if we play like that every single game, then we’re close to unstoppable.”
Senior goalkeeper Megan Kinneman agreed, citing the Tigers’ energy level and mental preparation as keys to starting strong. But LSU coach Brian Lee said the Friday matches all played out differently and that a four-game sample is too small to draw any conclusions from.
Regardless, the Tigers will face a stiff challenge in Tennessee, a team that appears to be on track to qualify for the NCAA tournament for a third consecutive year. The Volunteers opened SEC play with a 1-0 victory against No. 20 Texas A&M last weekend, and they also defeated No. 17 UCF, 2-1, on August 30.
“Tennessee is a tough team, and we’ve got to come out hard against them,” Calloway said. “They’ve got good players and big, strong forwards, so we’ve got to come out strong from the start to the finish.”
LSU heads into Friday’s contest on the heels of a 2-1 overtime victory at Vanderbilt Saturday. After regulation ended in a 1-1 tie, sophomore midfielder Fernanda Piña secured the Tiger victory by knocking in the golden goal in the 95th minute. Kinneman said getting the experience was crucial for the Tigers, but their performance throughout the game inspired her more.
“I thought that was the best game we played all season in terms of the effort, the movement of the ball,” Kinneman said. “For us to get that many opportunities to score was great.”
That led to a season-high performance as the Tigers recorded 28 total shots and 15 shots on goal. Though Lee acknowledged the difficulty of consistently putting up those numbers, a similar performance may be needed to fluster Tennessee junior goalkeeper Julie Eckel, who has allowed only four goals this season.
The match against Tennessee marks the end of a five-game road trip for LSU, during which it posted a 3-2 record. The Tigers will spend the entire weekend in Baton Rouge, ending with a Sunday showdown with Mississippi State at 1 p.m.
“After three weeks on the road, it’s nice to sleep in our own beds and get back to a normal routine,” Lee said. “But when the game starts, it’s a 90-minute game, and the field is the same size. We’ve got to go try to win.”
Last year, LSU lost a 3-2 overtime game at Tennessee on October 14. Should Friday’s game come down to the final seconds, the Tigers may have a leg up on their opponents. After all, they’ve been there before.
“When you get the really tight games and overtimes and late-game winners, those are the ones that define where you finish in the league,” Lee said. “And with this year’s league, there’s so much parity that every game is going to be tight.”
Who: LSU (5-3-1, 1-0 SEC) vs. Tennessee (6-2-1, 1-0 SEC)
When: Friday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.
Where: LSU Soccer Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
“From here on out we’ve got to bring the energy just like we did against Vanderbilt [last Saturday]. I think if we play like that every single game, then we’re close to unstoppable.”