LSU soccer rounded out non-conference play on Sunday against No. 9 Rutgers. The end of conference play also brought an end to their unbeaten run since the start of the season.
The loss to Rutgers was particularly heartbreaking as the Tigers held a 2-0 lead into halftime. Rutgers turned the game around and won it 3-2. This could have been a big boost for the Tigers, and could have had them ranked to begin conference play.
As conference play gets set to begin, let’s take a look at the preseason poll, league format and players to watch for LSU.
SEC preseason poll and current rankings
Before the season began, the SEC posted a coaches poll to their Twitter, which had LSU sitting at 10th. Some might say that could be seen as unfair, but LSU’s start to conference play last year was abysmal, and questioned the true strength of the squad. After seeing its performances so far this year, that might just be unfair.
LSU brings a fire with them. The Tigers might struggle against the top opposition, but Coach Sian Hudson continues to prepare these players for games of this caliber. The team is young, but there is still a lot of experience in this squad.
The SEC currently boasts five teams ranked in the United Soccer Coaches top-25; South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Auburn. They also boast Texas A&M and Tennessee receiving votes in the poll.
This shows how tough of a road LSU has in the SEC. That being said, successful results could make things easier for the tigers to get a tournament bid come end of season.
The league format
How does the league work? The teams are split into their normal divisions of SEC East and West. With each win, a team earns three points, a draw earns one and a loss earns zero.
The league table is decided by the most points, and the SEC Tournament will follow those standings. This means draws can happen this year which could shake things up for teams tactically.
With this system, LSU could definitely finish above 10th in the league. Hudson knows the strength of her team. She knows the quality of her players as well.
Players to watch
Two players to watch going into SEC play are Wasila Diwura-Soale and Ida Hermannsdottir. These are two dynamic players in different parts of the system. Soale plays more of a defensive role and Hermanssdottir follows into an attacking role.
Hudson speaks highly of both.
“She leads by example on the field,” Hudson said about Soale. “I was thrilled for her to score a goal against Princeton last week. She is an absolute warrior.”
Soale will continue to be a big piece of the Tigers’ midfield. This will be a mainstay as she can play 90 minutes. Expect Soale to have a big role coming into SEC play.
Hermannsdottir is younger than Soale, but she brings a breath of fresh air to the attack in the squad. She leads the team in goals and assists this season.
“She plays with such expression and personality,” Hudson said. “The bigger the moment the more you will see from her.”
Hermannsdottir will continue to be a huge playmaker for this team. She is expected to continue her fine run of form right into SEC play.
LSU opened SEC play in the best way possible by beating Vanderbilt on the road 2-1.
Hermannsdottir’s free kick in the second half was the winning goal for the tigers. LSU showed that they were ready for the physicality of SEC play. They played fiercely and pressured the Commodores the entire game.
The Commodores are no easy team to beat. Coming into today, they had only conceded one goal all season, but LSU’s attack was up for the challenge. Both goals came from set pieces, which is something that LSU spent time practicing this week.
If LSU can continue to play like this and beat teams that are ranked higher than them in the preseason poll, then this team can be something special.
