LSU Soccer lost 2-1 to No. 6 seed Memphis at the Billy J. Murphy Track and Soccer Complex on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
It was LSU’s third straight NCAA berth, and the Tigers strived to make a comeback all game after Memphis dominated from start to finish.
The Memphis Tigers claimed the American Athletic Conference Championship title and extended their winning streak, the longest in the nation with 19 wins. They will go on to face No. 3 Notre Dame in the second round.
In the third minute of play, Memphis forward Saorla Miller passed the ball toward the goal line, and midfielder Mya Jones tapped it in the goal. It was Jones’ 11th goal of the season.
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Just 40 seconds later, midfielder Momo Nakao dribbled into the box and shot the ball to the back of the net in the top right corner.
With barely any possessions in the game, LSU trailed 2-0 with over 80 minutes of playing time left.
Redshirt freshman Bailey Herfurth started at goalkeeper for LSU in place of Mollee Swift who was injured. It was Herfurth’s first appearance this season, as Swift had started all of the Tiger’s previous 19 games.
After allowing two goals, Herfurth had multiple key saves for LSU, stepping up in her first match.
In a halftime interview with the announcers, LSU head coach Sian Hudson said, “I don’t think she could’ve done anything about either of those two goals.”
Trying to stir up a response on offense, LSU had multiple entries into the attacking third with counter-attacks, but couldn’t finish at the goal in the first half.
Forward Mollie Baker took a shot toward the left corner of the goal in the 18th minute, but Memphis goalkeeper Kaylie Bierman made a diving save. It was one of LSU’s only two shots on goal, and the Memphis defense, with its top-goalkeeper, held the Tigers off.
Named the 2023 American Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Year, Bierman was No. 1 in the AAC for save percentage, goals against average and shutouts per game.
With an offensive response and breakthrough for LSU in the second half, Ava Galligan scored on an assist from Mollie Baker to put LSU on the board.
The Tigers increased pressure on the Memphis defense in the second half, but couldn’t get an equalizer.
A main reason this Memphis team has continued to win and shut out its opponents is because of aggressive defensive performances.
In the NCAA, Memphis is first in goals against average and has only allowed seven goals all season. The Memphis Tigers have the highest shutout percentage in the NCAA with 13 out of 19 games ending scoreless for opponents.
With 15 seconds left, LSU brought all eleven players forward, and goalkeeper Herfurth took a shot on an empty goal, but the ball rolled just right as the clock hit zero.
This was LSU’s second loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Memphis, after a 3-0 loss in 2021.
Despite the loss, LSU soccer showed resilience in many tough battles this season, ending the year with an 8-8-4 record.
