The LSU soccer team’s season was one of almost-goals, nearly-missed chances and sparks of clever passing not translating into scores.
Despite starting the season with the fastest goal in a season opener in program history, the Tigers could not consistently play at the level they showed glimpses of against top teams.
“At times, we were a really exciting, flowing, attacking team, and at times, Player A doesn’t know Player B is going,” said LSU coach Brian Lee.
From the first game of the season, LSU’s success on offense depended on the play of sophomore forward Summer Clarke and freshman forward Jorian Baucom.
The pair alternated as the team’s leading scorer all season. Baucom finished the season in the lead with eight goals, marking the second consecutive season a freshman tallied the Tigers’ most goals.
In games when Clarke or Baucom scored, the Tigers were 5-4-1, compared with an 0-9-1 record in games neither scored.
When the Tigers needed a spark offensively, Clarke and Baucom answered.
On the road against BYU on Sept. 11, Clarke scored the Tigers’ first goal, and Baucom’s penalty kick in the 64th minute put LSU back in the lead after the Cougars scored an equalizer just a minute before.
Baucom’s goal in LSU’s Southeastern Conference opener kept the Tigers in the game until the last minute despite their lack of offensive chances, as the young players adjusted to the physical nature of conference play.
Against Arkansas on Sept. 28, Baucom’s goal in the 22nd minute put LSU ahead going into halftime, but the Tigers needed a spark after the Razorbacks tied the game with less than 20 minutes remaining.
Clarke answered 24 seconds later with a breakaway goal to put the Tigers ahead until Arkansas stole the win with an equalizer off a free kick with seven seconds left.
Despite the leadership of Clarke and Baucom, the Tigers struggled in conference play to create chances against the well-organized and physical SEC teams.
LSU ranked 13th in the conference in shots with 94 but was last in the conference, averaging only 3.5 shots on goal per game.
“We’re not being as clinical as we would like in the final third,” Lee said. “We’re taking chances a little too early, and we’re still creating some good ones, but we aren’t really attacking the end line.”
Most of LSU’s chances are aimed directly to goal, which limits an offense to one opportunity per possession. This strategy reflects the Tigers’ youth offensively. A more veteran team will focus attacks toward the end line to create opportunities through crosses.
“We still need to work on getting end line,” said junior keeper Catalina Rubiano. “That’s something coach [Lee] has really emphasized. It’s just a matter of getting it stuck in their heads that even though it’s not directly to goal by getting to end line you are going to get many more opportunities.”
Against the top two teams in the conference, Texas A&M and Florida, the Tigers managed 13 shots and only six shots on goal.
The statistics do not entirely reflect LSU’s offensive performance in these games. The Tigers created offensive chances they weren’t able to convert into shots.
“I think we were 10 maybe 12 times, against [Florida] one of the top 10 teams in the country, three-versus-three around the box,” Lee said. “The numbers were great, and we weren’t even getting shots off. We just weren’t sharp in that final little area.”
The Tigers’ development of offensive chemistry this season will act as a building block for a team that will return almost all of its starters for next season.
“I think everyone has gotten to know each other better as players,” said sophomore midfielder Emma Fletcher. “Everyone has learned how to work off each other better.”
You can reach Morgan Prewitt on Twitter @kmprewitt_TDR.