Soccer is a sport that demands nearly constant motion, and LSU is finding out that fluidity often extends beyond the pitch.
When the LSU soccer team opens its spring exhibition season tonight against Nicholls St. in the LSU Soccer Complex, the Tigers’ roster will look vastly different than the squad that bowed out to Texas A&M five months ago in the NCAA Tournament’s first round.
Three 2011 All-Southeastern Conference performers are gone, and with them, 72 percent of LSU’s offensive output from last season’s 13-8-1 SEC Western Division champions.
LSU coach Brian Lee said spring soccer is a time to focus more on individual development to replace that production rather than overall team play.
“We’ll still compete hard to win, but the process is more important,” Lee said. “Our staff will be looking to see kids making strides in their skill level.”
The Tigers’ chief concern is finding a go-to scorer to succeed All-SEC standout forward Taryne Boudreau, whose 12 goals and six assists accounted for more than half of LSU’s 34 goals last fall.
Former midfielder Natalie Martineau’s four goals and 10 assists also leaves a sizeable void in the Tiger midfield. Enter junior Addie Eggleston and sophomore Kaley Blades. Lee said he expects the duo to take over the Tigers’ scoring load and enhance their field coverage.
“It’s important for Addie and Kaley to continue developing,” Lee said. “We believe both can become All-SEC players. That next step starts this spring.”
Eggleston - a dynamic, but erratic ball handler - struggled to follow up a 2010 All-SEC Freshman campaign, scoring four goals and assisting on five more last fall, but failing to consistently control the outside midfield action.
Blades returned from a serious knee injury suffered in September 2010 to tally three goals and three assists in limited playing time last season. She started only three games.
Eggleston may also need to assume the bullish role vacated by former midfielder Allysha Chapman, last season’s SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and the Tigers’ most intuitive passer.
While LSU’s frontline may be in flux, the goalkeeper position may be more solidified than Mo Isom’s expired eligibility suggests.
Junior Megan Kinneman challenged Isom for the starting job last fall, but never settled into the season, allowing seven goals in three losses, including starting LSU’s 4-0 season-ending defeat at Texas A&M.
But Kinneman was an All-SEC Freshman selection in 2010, when she allowed just 10 goals in 14 games, and is largely considered an elite keeper by coaches around the league.
Lee said he expects Kinneman to resemble the freshman version this spring, not the goalie that was in the net against the Aggies last November.
“Megan’s been really sharp lately,” Lee said. “She’s close to top form, and I expect her to not only excel in goal but also take on a leadership role.”
While Nicholls isn’t considered a soccer power, Lee said he expects the Colonels to mount a challenge similar to last spring’s matchup, when LSU didn’t score until the 52nd minute in an eventual 4-0 win.
“We’ll get their best effort,” Lee said. “They gave us a great game last year, so we respect them. Again, our goals for the game start with the individual. We’ll worry about the scores more in the fall.”
____ Contact Chris Abshire at [email protected]