After four Southeastern Conference Western Division titles since 2007, missing the NCAA Tournament last year was an unacceptable fate for the LSU soccer team and head coach Brian Lee.
So in Lee’s own words, the No. 25 Tigers are getting a little brave this fall, switching from a defensive-oriented team to a free-flowing, offensive force.
That style of play will get its second regular-season test tonight as the Tigers welcome UL-Monroe to the LSU Soccer Stadium for an in-state showdown.
“We’re much more of a pass-and-move type team,” Lee said of this year’s squad. “We’re playing the way we’d like to play. The last couple years, we’ve been a defensive team with [midfielders] Allysha Chapman and Natalie Martineau on a [2011] team that did very well, but it wasn’t an overly attractive style of play. It was grinding out games.”
Grind is a good way to describe LSU’s season opener with the Tigers narrowly defeating a pesky Lousiana Tech squad, 1-0, on Friday night.
That match may have been an outlier, though, as Tech packed the defensive third most of the game while only allowing a single goal to LSU freshman Summer Clarke in the first half.
“As players, we felt good about the win, but you always have things to work on,” said junior Jodi Calloway. “It was a good, solid base, and we plan to grown on that.”
Part of the team’s move toward an attacking brand of ball is due to what is perhaps LSU’s best recruiting class ever.
Clarke’s Canadian cohorts include incoming freshmen Emma Fletcher and Rebecca Pongetti to go along with New Zealand newcomer Megan Lee.
Fletcher sent the through ball that Clarke finished for her first career goal on Friday. Along with Calloway and sophomore Fernanda Pina in the scoring third, Fletcher and Clarke’s deft touch and scoring acumen spurred the coach to adapt the team’s strategy to an agressive one.
“Emma and Summer and Megan are three of the more dynamic attacking kids in the world in their age group,” Lee said. “You don’t sit on that. And even Rebecca is vocal in the back, showing leadership as a freshman.”
Though LSU scored a meager 1.29 goals per game during a 9-8-4 2012 campaign, the defense was just as good, surrendering 1.33 scores on average.
With a style of play predicated on pushing players forward, it’s natural to wonder how well the defense will fare. Lee said his team could be prone to allowing some quick goals prior to SEC play.
“Fortune favors the brave, and we’ll run the ball forward,” Lee said. “We don’t want to sit back and hope the other team isn’t dynamic enough to score. It’s a full team attack, which puts us at risk. Early on, we’ll give up some counters and breakaways for some goals that hopefully six, seven games down the road won’t be happening anymore.”
Senior goalkeeper Megan Kinneman isn’t as worried about having so much empty space in front of her goal.
“I think that if we have such a good attacking front and keep possession of the ball, that’s the best defense to have,” she said.
UL-Monroe enters the match on a high note, having trounced Grambling, 9-0, on Sunday. The Warhawks also played on Friday, kicking off their season with a 6-1 loss to SMU in Dallas.
That makes Tuesday’s tilt the third match in five days for them, leaving them succeptable to LSU’s newfound aggression. However, the in-state factor gives the Warhawks all the adrenaline they’ll need, Lee said.
“Whenever the Louisiana schools come in, it’s usually a special, career-defining moment for them,” Lee said. “We’ll get their best shot nine times out of ten.”
LSU is 3-0-1 all-time against UL-Monroe, with the last meeting coming in 2002 when LSU won 4-0.
After four Southeastern Conference Western Division titles since 2007, missing the NCAA Tournament last year was an unacceptable fate for the LSU soccer team and head coach Brian Lee.
So in Lee’s own words, the No. 25 Tigers are getting a little brave this fall, switching from a defensive-oriented team to a free-flowing, offensive force.
That style of play will get its second regular-season test tonight as the Tigers welcome UL-Monroe to the LSU Soccer Stadium for an in-state showdown.
“We’re much more of a pass-and-move type team,” Lee said of this year’s squad. “We’re playing the way we’d like to play. The last couple years, we’ve been a defensive team with [midfielders] Allysha Chapman and Natalie Martineau on a [2011] team that did very well, but it wasn’t an overly attractive style of play. It was grinding out games.”
Grind is a good way to describe LSU’s season opener, with the Tigers narrowly defeating a pesky Louisiana Tech squad, 1-0, on Friday night.
That match may have been an outlier, though, as Tech packed the defensive third most of the game while only allowing a single goal to LSU freshman Summer Clarke in the first half.
“As players, we felt good about the win, but you always have things to work on,” said junior Jodi Calloway. “It was a good, solid base, and we plan to grown on that.”
Part of the team’s move toward an attacking brand of ball is due to what is perhaps LSU’s best recruiting class ever.
Clarke’s Canadian cohorts include incoming freshmen Emma Fletcher and Rebecca Pongetti to go along with New Zealand newcomer Megan Lee.
Fletcher sent the through ball that Clarke finished for her first career goal on Friday. Along with Calloway and sophomore Fernanda Pina in the scoring third, Fletcher and Clarke’s deft touch and scoring acumen spurred the coach to adapt the team’s strategy to an aggressive one.
“Emma and Summer and Megan are three of the more dynamic attacking kids in the world in their age group,” Lee said. “You don’t sit on that. And even Rebecca is vocal in the back, showing leadership as a freshman.”
Though LSU scored a meager 1.29 goals per game during a 9-8-4 2012 campaign, the defense was just as good, surrendering 1.33 scores on average.
With a style of play predicated on pushing players forward, it’s natural to wonder how well the defense will fare. Lee said his team could be prone to allowing some quick goals prior to SEC play.
“Fortune favors the brave, and we’ll run the ball forward,” Lee said. “We don’t want to sit back and hope the other team isn’t dynamic enough to score. It’s a full team attack, which puts us at risk. Early on, we’ll give up some counters and breakaways for some goals that hopefully six, seven games down the road won’t be happening anymore.”
Senior goalkeeper Megan Kinneman isn’t as worried about having so much empty space in front of her goal.
“I think that if we have such a good attacking front and keep possession of the ball, that’s the best defense to have,” she said.
UL-Monroe enters the match on a high note, having trounced Grambling, 9-0, on Sunday. The Warhawks also played on Friday, kicking off their season with a 6-1 loss to SMU in Dallas.
That makes Tuesday’s tilt the third match in five days for them, leaving them susceptible to LSU’s newfound aggression. However, the in-state factor gives the Warhawks all the adrenaline they’ll need, Lee said.
“Whenever the Louisiana schools come in, it’s usually a special, career-defining moment for them,” Lee said. “We’ll get their best shot nine times out of ten.”
LSU is 3-0-1 all-time against UL-Monroe, with the last meeting coming in 2002 when LSU won 4-0.
Soccer Top Returning Scorers
Fernanda Piña — 4
Alex Arlitt — 4
Jade Kovacevic — 3
Tori Sample — 2
Heather Magee — 2
Returning assists leaders:
Jade Kovacevic — 6
Fernanda Piña — 4
Tori Sample — 2
Addie Eggleston — 2