LSU came away with a 1-0 victory over the University of Minnesota on Sunday afternoon following a late game goal scored by sophomore forward Jorian Baucom.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-1-1) came into today’s match with a recent win over Stephen F. Austin University in the first game of the Battle of the Bayou Tournament. The Gophers are an experienced team that tied for fifth in the Big 10 Conference last year.
LSU (3-0-1) managed to keep the high-powered offensive attack of the Gophers in check all game. Minnesota had already scored 12 goals in its first three games of the season, with half of those goals coming in the first half.
The LSU back line made senior goalkeeper Catalina Rubiano’s job easier by blocking many of Minnesota’s attempted shots before they had a chance to get to her. The Golden Gophers finished the game without a single shot on goal.
“Minnesota had plenty of chances to get shots on goal and our back four was throwing their bodies in front of balls to make sure they didn’t get on target,” said LSU coach Brian Lee.
The final game of the Battle of the Bayou tournament marked the Tigers’ first afternoon home game of the season, and players had to deal with scorching, muggy temperatures.
Lee said his team actually embraces the uncomfortable temperatures because it makes it harder on visiting teams that are not used to the conditions.
“We would like it to be even hotter and maybe a little more humid when we’ve got visiting teams from out of our region coming in,” Lee said. “It’s something we’ve been excited for.”
The Tigers showed some second-half resiliency and made a key adjustment that led to their victory. Lee switched his team’s formation from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3, giving his team a better chance of crossing balls into the box.
“The girls are very good at processing information at halftime,” Lee said “They’re comfortable in almost any system because we’re so sound defensively.”
The momentum of the game in the second half gave players reason to believe it was only a matter of time before the Tigers would find a way to breakthrough. Junior forward Summer Clarke facilitated multiple opportunities for the Tigers early in the second half, but her teammates had trouble converting on them.
“I just knew one had to go in because [Clarke] is very good at getting those crosses in,” Baucom said. “I knew the second one was going to go in.”
Baucom found the net in the 71st minute of play after heading a cross from junior Summer Clarke inside the far post. Baucom credited her team-leading third goal of the season to the chemistry she has with her fellow forward, Clarke.
“Since we had a longer preseason, it helped us improve as a whole,” Baucom said. “We’re definitely showing that our preseason has paid off.”
LSU will have a few days off before it faces the Ball State Cardinals on Sept. 4 in the fourth match of a five-game homestand.