After a promising start to the season, obtaining its first national ranking in two years, the LSU soccer team finds itself on a two-game losing streak. The team is unranked and at the bottom of the Southeastern Conference standings with just three points in league play.
LSU (7-3-2, 1-3 SEC) was riding a three-game winning streak into its weekend SEC tilts against then-No.13 Auburn University and University of Mississippi, but the Tigers’ momentum didn’t carry over.
LSU fell to Auburn, 3-2, after two overtime periods Friday night, bringing its record to 0-2-2 in games decided in extra periods this season. Ole Miss took advantage of a tired LSU team Sunday, defeating the Tigers 2-0, and handing them their first shutout loss of the season.
“We still feel good about our season as a whole,” said LSU coach Brian Lee. “It was a tough road trip against two really good SEC teams. We thought we gave ourself a great chance to win Friday. For the first time all year, I thought we made some mental errors that won’t become a habit. On Sunday, I think we ran into a good team at the wrong time at the end of a long road trip.”
To make matters worse, sophomore forward Jorian Baucom left Sunday’s contest immediately after the Rebels scored their second goal in the 69th minute and did not return. Baucom said she reaggravated an ankle injury she suffered in LSU’s game against Marquette University two weeks prior. She is using a walking boot this week and said she is taking it day by day.
“It’s been difficult coming off of my injury from the Marquette game,” Baucom said. “I haven’t had time to rest my ankle, but I’ve been doing a lot of rehab to get back as healthy as possible and as quickly as possible. I’m getting better each day.”
Baucom said she played through pain because she knows she is imperative to LSU’s success. She is the second leading scorer in both the SEC and the NCAA, trailing only sophomore forward Savannah Jordan of the University of Florida for the lead. She is responsible for 11 of LSU’s 27 goals.
With or without Baucom, LSU needs to accumulate points in the SEC if it hopes to reach the postseason. Starting with their game against Vanderbilt University on Friday night, the Tigers have seven games left, and they will need a strong finish to qualify for the SEC tournament in November as one the league’s 10 best teams.
Senior midfielder Alex Arlitt said LSU has to perform better in the extra periods as it may need overtime to defeat the other talented teams within the SEC. With a sudden-death overtime format, known as golden goal, one small misstep can cost the team a game and precious points in the standings, Arlitt said.
“We need to improve on staying mentally strong throughout both overtimes,” Arlitt said. “A lot of times, it’s been really small mental errors that cost us the game. If we work on that, we can do better in overtime.”
Both of LSU’s overtime losses ended with a set-piece goal for the opponent. Earlier this season, the University of Alabama defeated LSU 3-2 in Tuscaloosa with a game-winning goal off a corner kick in its first conference loss. Auburn scored the game winner off a free kick Friday night, defeating LSU by the same score.
“Overtimes are really short,” Lee said. “We need to limit the number of free kicks and corners we’re giving up. If we can do that, that will really clean things up and win some of these close games at the end.”
Although LSU hit a rough patch, senior midfielder Natalia Gomez-Junco said the Tigers have enough veteran leadership to regain momentum and compete for their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2011.
With its most experienced team since that 2011 season, LSU looks to shoot up the standings and back into national contention, beginning with its match against the Commodores.
“For the rest of the year, it all starts with the seniors, and there are other younger players that have shown great leadership,” Gomez-Junco said. “It was a rough weekend, and we didn’t play our best but we have to be positive. We’re one of the better teams in the SEC, but we have to take one game at a time right now starting with Vanderbilt.”