LSU senior midfielder Alex
Arlitt has never been one to let pain slow her down.
From the moment she first stepped onto the pitch in a Tiger uniform, Arlitt’s thirst for competition and victory has been enough to overcome the relentless grind of the college soccer season.
But everything changed for the durable Arlitt on Aug. 29, during an early-season contest against Northwestern State.
With the Tigers leading 3-1 minutes before the end of the first half, Arlitt chased down a ball near the corner, took a wrong step and went down to the ground, where she stayed for several minutes before being helped to the locker room.
She didn’t know what to make of it at first.
“I’m so used to falling down and just getting back up to play, so I didn’t know immediately how
serious [the injury] was,” Arlitt said. “I thought it was just going to be a quick thing where you tape up the ankle and get back in a week like it normally is. But for whatever reason, it hasn’t gone that way so far.”
Arlitt’s untimely left ankle injury has sidelined her for six of LSU’s eight games this season, and it’s still unclear when she’ll return to the Tigers’ lineup.
Sitting back and watching her younger teammates battle through a tough schedule from the sideline wasn’t the way she envisioned her final season at LSU to play out.
“I was definitely frustrated,” Arlitt said. “This was not exactly what I had in mind when I pictured my senior season, having to sit out a few weeks. But that’s the card you’re dealt, and you just have to do the best with what you’ve got. I’m just going to keep doing everything I can to not get stressed and get back as soon as I can.”
Being inactive has been an ironic twist for the All-Southeastern Conference performer. Prior to that August night against the Lady
Demons, Arlitt was as steady a presence as any for LSU soccer coach Brian Lee, having started in each of the 65 games for the Tigers before turning her ankle.
Lee said it was tough seeing his senior leader sidelined with an injury after her tireless preparation in the offseason.
“She put in a great summer of work and was as motivated as any senior I’ve ever coached,” Lee said. “She’s done all the right things to prepare herself for a big senior year, so I feel bad she’s missed this many games already, but hopefully, she’ll be back on the field soon.”
But Arlitt said she has spent more of her time focusing on her younger teammates rather than her injury status.
“It’s tough just watching the games, but I’m trying not to think about that,” Arlitt said. “I’m just trying to affect the team as much as I can from the sideline and still help them out from the bench. That’s why I’ve enjoyed traveling so much, because I can be there. Even if I’m not playing, I can be there.”
In the beginning, it was a tough transition for the young squad without its lone senior on the field. After starting the season with consecutive victories, LSU dropped two of the first three games without Arlitt in the lineup.
But the Tigers bounced back and have gone unbeaten in two of the last three matches, including a 4-3 defeat of BYU on Sept. 11 for the squad’s first road victory of the season.
“There are tons of other people and other leaders on the team that have stepped up,” Arlitt said. “It was a good win for us at BYU, especially on the road. But we have to make sure we’re staying consistent and figuring out a way to keep winning games.”
It’s still uncertain whether Arlitt will be ready for Friday’s SEC opener against Missouri, but she said she’s going to attempt to play. Whenever she does make her return, she’s sure it’ll feel quite different from before.
“I’m probably going to be more amped up in the game I come back than just another game,” Arlitt said. “I usually get pretty amped up for games, but I feel like this might be different because I’ve never sat out before. So whenever I finally do get back, I might just go crazy.”