The whistle sounded in the last minute of the LSU soccer team’s match against Alabama on Oct. 9, signaling a corner for the Crimson Tide.
As Alabama lined up to take the corner, the hearts of the Tiger faithful sank. Only seconds later, their worst fears became reality as Tide freshman forward Lacey Clarida headed in her own rebound off the cross bar, equalizing the score at two.
LSU’s loss to Alabama marked the third game this season in which the Tigers gave up a goal off a set piece in the last five minutes of regulation.
Since the Alabama game, LSU coach Brian Lee has put extra emphasis on defending against set pieces, which has led to a dramatic improvement in the Tigers’ most recent Southeastern Conference games against Kentucky and Florida.
“We’ve put a lot of focus on [set pieces] for over two weeks,” said LSU junior midfielder Natalia Gomez-Junco. “I think 80 percent of what set pieces are is being focused.”
Before the added focus on set pieces, the Tigers’ defense has allowed eight goals on the first ball off corners and free kicks this season.
Lee said part of this struggle stems from LSU’s many freshmen having to adjust to the importance of set pieces in the college game.
“There is probably a bigger emphasis on set pieces than in their youth soccer culture,” Lee said. “In set pieces, we are really, really young, so there is always going to be an adjustment period, and it is just a big factor in the college game.”
Freshman defenders Alexis Urch and Jordane Carvey and freshman midfielder Christyna Pitre have learned to use their heights and strengths in the air to defend set pieces, but Pitre is the key player for the Tigers in those scenarios.
“Chrissy is really vital on our set pieces,” Lee said. “We haven’t given up a corner goal when she’s in. It’s a fairly key cog if the other team is zero for 25 when she’s in and five for 17 when she’s out.”
Starting with the Kentucky game, Lee switched up the lineup to create an opportunity for Pitre to play more minutes at center defender after she struggled with her stamina in her usual position at center midfielder.
“We had to find a way for Pitre to play 90 minutes so we can defend the corners better,” Lee said. “So Carvery had to move up to midfield, which she’s played before as a youth player.”
Pitre’s move to the back line is not the only change to the lineup that has helped the Tigers against set pieces.
Lee’s decision to start junior keeper Catalina Rubiano since Alabama has brought a different dynamic in between the posts. Rubiano’s quick reactions combined with her athletic ability to block the first ball has added consistency on set pieces to the Tigers’ defense, which is something the team struggled with during freshman keeper Lily Alfeld’s time in goal.
“The two of them are very different goalkeepers,” Lee said. “Rubiano is very aggressive and does a great job of impacting every ball, whether she catches cleanly or just pushes out of the danger area. Her range is a little more extended than Lily’s.”
LSU sophomore defender Megan Lee said the Tigers have focused in practice on defending the second ball by doing drills in practice where they have to run if they let a ball drop.
“I think it’s been a big mentality thing,” Megan said. “We’ve had a lot of trainings where it’ll just be completely about set pieces. If we let the ball drop, [Brian] is going to make us run. I think just coming back from that, we have the mentality that we have to win the ball first, and then we have to get to second phase.”