The stakes are raised as LSU soccer kicks off conference play in Oxford against the Ole Miss Rebels on Friday.
The journey to the Southeastern Conference Tournament begins with the Tigers at 5-2-1, coming off a 2-1 win against Northwestern State. Their most notable win came on the road when they shocked Texas, No. 9 at the time, 3-1.
Head coach Sian Hudson said the team has sometimes “gone through the motions” while scoring goals to win games. However, she said sticking to their tagline of “prove it” will encourage the team to not stray from critical technique and focus.
“We just need to have this mentality that’s like we’ve got to prove it consistently,” Hudson said. “Good teams are going to capitalize on mistakes if there’s lapses in concentration from that.”
Within the SEC West, LSU is ranked No. 3 behind Alabama and Mississippi State. Currently four SEC teams are ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25: Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas and Georgia.
LSU will take on No. 7 Alabama and No. 11 Arkansas back-to-back on Oct. 13 and Oct. 19. Hudson said the team will prepare the same for all upcoming opponents, ranked or not, because playing any SEC team is difficult.
“I think one of the best things about this league is just the fact that anybody can be anybody on their day and just making sure that we have a really professional and disciplined mindset going into games,” Hudson explained.
Wins in these games are crucial for the Tigers to put themselves in a good spot for the SEC Tournament.
Conference wins translate to points, and tournament standings are based on who has the most. A win is three points, a draw is one and a loss is zero. Only 10 of the 14 SEC teams will make the conference tournament.
Based on LSU’s performance this season, the Tigers have room to improve, and Hudson pointed out changes the offense and defense need to make.
The team has to get better defensively in the box by not allowing opponents to make easy passes into the penalty area, she said.
“Ensuring our growth in set pieces is a very big focus for us coming into SEC play and then just being organized; organized defensively in terms of space to send balls,” Hudson said.
Offensively, multiple players have stepped up this season to advance the Tigers to five wins. Midfielder Ida Hermannsdottir and forward Taylor Dobles lead the team with four goals each.
LSU’s opponents have recorded 46 saves, and the Tigers outscore their opponents 22-9, showing this team creates opportunities on offense and can attack the goal. However, conference wins won’t come easy, and the Tigers will need to continue being aggressive while controlling the ball against SEC opponents.
“I think on the attacking side of the ball, you know we spend a lot of time getting into wide areas and then looking for balls in the box,” Hudson said. “But we want to be a team that can get in (the goal) from behind in the central channel.”
Last season, the Tigers ended conference play 4-2-4 and were the No. 7 seed in the SEC Tournament. They lost in the opening round to Ole Miss in Oxford, but this Friday they will aim to beat the Rebels to start conference play with a win.
“We notice a lot of people talking about the revenge mission,” Hudson said. “For us, it’s just another game and making sure that we get our (conference) season started off right now with three points.”
