LSU earned its first Southeastern Conference win of the season, defeating the University of Georgia, 4-3, Thursday night.
Georgia (1-6-1, 0-2 SEC) came into tonight’s match also looking to capture its first SEC win. The Bulldogs managed to double their season goal total by scoring three goals in the first 30 minutes of play.
Both teams’ offensive attacks got going early, scoring five total goals in a dramatic first half. LSU (6-1-2, 1-1 SEC) junior forward Summer Clarke struck first in the fifth minute after attempting to cross a ball in the box but staying with it after the ball was deflected by a Georgia defender. The goal was Clarke’s fifth of the season and the 10th consecutive LSU goal scored by her or sophomore forward Jorian Baucom.
Clarke put pressure on the Georgia backline all game by attacking the flanks. She said Baucom and her noticed they had an advantage over Georgia’s defense early in the game.
“Me and Jorian talked on the field and we noticed that we were just a lot faster than them,” Clarke said. “Once we got a good first touch on the ball, we could beat them either through or around.”
The Bulldogs countered Clarke’s early goal with three unanswered goals of their own. Sophomore midfielder Becca Rasmussen started Georgia’s offensive flurry, netting her first goal of the season after she put away a loose ball from five yards out.
Georgia built on its momentum by finding the net again a mere 22 seconds later on a penalty kick scored by senior forward Bella Hartley. The Bulldogs scored what would be their last goal of the game in the 30th minute when sophomore Kelsey Killean converted on a cross from junior forward Lauren Tanner.
LSU responded before the half as sophomore midfielder Debbie Hahn curled a left-footed strike inside the top-right corner of the goal.
The Tigers went into halftime down 3-2 to a team that had only scored three goals all season, but LSU coach Brian Lee said he was happy with the way his team responded to adversity, particularly on the offensive end.
“We’ve been waiting for that situation [coming from behind] this season,” Lee said. “We’re not inviting it, we don’t want it but it’s something the coaches have talked about a lot. How are we going to respond to a good team when we’re down that early in the game? We made a tactical shift that probably affected the game. They always take changes so well, and it’s a huge advantageous for us. They stayed composed and started creating chance after chance after chance. That’s probably the best we’ve attacked all season. It was very fluid and dangerous.”
Senior midfielder Natalia Gomez-Junco got going in the second half to tie the game in the 68th minute. She launched a 25-yard rocket inside the left post to give the Tigers some late game momentum. She scored again 10 minutes later on a one-timer from 20 yards out to give LSU the lead.
The two goals Gomez-Junco scored tonight we’re her first two of the season, but she said she feels the same way after all of her teammates score.
“I feel the same happiness whenever anyone scores,” Gomez-Junco said. “I’ve felt like I’ve scored 15 goals this season because I celebrate each goal the same. It felt as if any other player had scored the goal.”