The new-look LSU offense was on full display Tuesday night, as a five-goal barrage in the first half led the Tigers to a 6-0 romp vs. UL-Monroe in the LSU Soccer Stadium.
After scoring just one goal in their opening win against Louisiana Tech, the Tigers (2-0) quickly validated coach Brian Lee’s confidence in a switch to a more attacking brand of offense for this year’s team.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to really put a team away and had enough firepower to take the game over early regardless of the opponent,” Lee said. “It was good to see that tonight, and it came from a lot of different places, so that’s encouraging as well.”
The six goals was LSU’s most since Sept. 17, 2010 against Mississippi State in a 6-2 win. It was the Tigers’ highest offensive output versus an in-state opponent since they ran up seven goals against Centenary in September 2008.
Junior Alex Arlitt and sophomore Fernanda Pina each scored a pair of goals, the first time either notched a multi-goal game. 
The damage was done early and often, as LSU got on the board in the 8th minute, when Arlitt’s centering pass was easily corralled by Pina and put away at close range.
“I had the ball originally and I know [Arlitt] always crosses it, so I just made that run and the ball was right to me,” Pina said. “It’s awesome to finish what the whole team is working for and great to see more scores from good playing.”
Five minutes later, the Tigers jumped ahead 2-0 as junior forward Jodi Calloway finished with her left foot off freshman Summer Clarke’s assist.
In the 17th minute, Arlitt finally got on the board, maneuvering into the 6-yard box and depositing senior defender Addie Eggleston’s pass out of a scrum for her first goal in five matches.
Frustration boiled over for UL-Monroe coach Roberto Mazza after that goal, as he was immediately ejected on a red card for arguing with the referees. The Warhawks (1-2) have been outscored 12-1 in two losses this season.
The relentless Tiger offense continued to push the pace on a reasonably cool August evening, and their persistence was rewarded again in the 21st minute.
Arlitt was again at the center of the action, taking an Eggleston cross and booting the ball in from 12 yards out to make it 4-0.
“What was working for me was probably getting forward,” said Arlitt, who is a defender. “As a left back, you don’t expect or anticipate moving that far up the field that often, but tonight I was able to get on the end of some crosses because we controlled the ball so well.”
That gave LSU more goals than it had in a game all of last season, when the Tigers scored three goals only three times while averaging 1.29 scores per match.
After sophomore Lexi Gibbs’s goal to conclude the first half action, Pina notched the only second-half score by juking a defender and drawing ULM goalkeeper Holly Mallinson out of the net before burying her second goal.

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Grace Steinhauser

LSU senior defender Nina Anderson (21) attempts a shot on Aug. 27, 2013 during the Tigers' 6-0 victory over the Warhawks at the LSU Soccer Stadium.