The defense was feisty but outmuscled, the passes were the correct decisions but continuously off-target and the scoring was nonexistent.
In a season full of blown opportunities and untimely mistakes, nothing went right for the LSU soccer team against No. 8 Florida on Sunday, and the Tigers are now one game closer to a long offseason.
LSU (5-12-2, 1-8-1 Southeastern Conference) couldn’t keep pace with the Gators’ pass-heavy attack and dropped its sixth consecutive game by a final of 3-0 Sunday at LSU Soccer Stadium.
The loss, which was the Tigers’ 10th in 12 games, officially ended their SEC Tournament hopes for the second season in coach Brian Lee’s 10-year tenure and for the first time since 2006.
LSU has been blanked in three consecutive games and have been outscored seven to zero during that span, but Lee said he was actually impressed with the Tigers’ play in the attack against Florida on Sunday.
“We had 10, maybe 12, 3-on-3 opportunities in the box against one of the top teams in the country, but we just weren’t getting shots off,” Lee said. “We just weren’t sharp in that final little area. It sounds silly when you lose 3-0, but I kind of thought it was fantastic in terms of the potential and closeness of the game.”
LSU didn’t attempt a shot until freshman forward Jorian Baucom misfired in the 50th minute of action, and the Tigers finished with just seven shots in the contest.
On the other side of the pitch, Florida had no trouble weaving the ball through and around the Tigers. The Gators seamlessly passed the ball to one another all over the field, creating 13 scoring opportunities that led to two goals in the first half.
Florida would have put the game out of reach much earlier if not for the standout performance of LSU junior goalkeeper Catalina Rubiano, who made her fifth consecutive start between net this season on Sunday.
The New Orleans native tallied six saves against eight shots on frame in the first half. Rubiano charged after loose balls in the box, tipped away rocket shots from distance and directed the young Tigers back before being pulled in the 60th minute.
“It feels good to be able to provide that to the team,” Rubiano said. “Hopefully it gives them a foundation to work out of on the back.”
Despite Rubiano’s athletic play in goal, she couldn’t keep the Gators from claiming victory in the first half. Florida sophomore forward Savannah Jordan scored the game-winner in the 23rd minute when she went top shelf over Rubiano’s outstretched arms from 18 yards out.
Gators junior defender Brooke Smith added her second goal of the season 19 minutes later to give Florida a 2-0 lead against LSU at the break.
The Tigers’ upcoming contest against Auburn on Thursday will conclude what has been a disappointing season for Lee and his club. With consecutive top-15 recruiting classes on the Tigers’ roster, the squad believed an SEC Tournament appearance at season’s end was inevitable.
But as the losses piled on top of each other, the young LSU squad could never develop the much-needed cohesion with one another. With the SEC tournament out of the picture, the Tigers will soon have 10 months to pinpoint and improve on the mistakes they made in hopes of a more successful 2015 campaign.
“This [loss] kind of marks the end of our season,” said LSU sophomore forward Summer Clarke. “We’re going to get through Thursday [against Auburn] and start looking at next season in how we can improve and do better for then.”
You can reach David Gray on Twitter @DGray_TDR.