The LSU soccer team finally didn’t have to sweat one out.
The Tigers (8-7-4, 4-6-2 Southeastern Conference) completed a second straight SEC comeback victory, promptly erasing an early deficit to down No. 16 Missouri, 3-1, on Sunday in Columbia, Mo.
Freshman Tori Sample’s 35-yard strike in the 24th minute erased the lead Missouri (13-5, 8-4 SEC) earned only seconds earlier, and freshman Colby Maffei’s header in the 38th minute gave LSU a lead it never relinquished.
The win — and a 3-2 triumph at Ole Miss on Friday — put the Tigers back on the hunt for a berth in next week’s SEC Tournament.
LSU entered the weekend in 12th place and now sits in ninth. The top 10 teams in the league make the field, and the Tigers haven’t missed it since 2006.
“From the second half of the Ole Miss game [Friday] when we trailed [2-0], the players locked in and gave an all-out effort,” said LSU coach Brian Lee. “We will have a chance to play our way into the tournament against Arkansas at home [on Thursday].”
It was LSU’s first win this season against a ranked opponent, but the Tigers didn’t look like they would earn it early on.
Missouri came out firing, notching seven early shots, including two by midfielder Kaysie Clark in the first 12 minutes that ricocheted off the post.
Clark didn’t miss the next time around, finishing near the net for a 1-0 advantage.
“That goal was a long time coming,” Lee said. “They had the pressure on early, so it was a matter of time before they got to the net.”
The Tigers didn’t wait long to answer. Sample found a loose ball well outside of the penalty box 25 seconds later and drilled it into the corner of the net for her second goal this season.
Following that strike, freshman forward Fernanda Piña sent a cross in from the right side, and Maffei buried a header from eight yards away in the 38th minute.
“That was probably the best goal we’ve scored all year,” Lee said. “We switched the point of attack. It looked like you would draw it up.”
Senior midfielder Nina Anderson added an insurance goal in the 63rd minute off an assist from freshman midfielder Jade Kovacevic.
That score gave the Tigers unusual breathing room down the stretch. It was the third LSU game all season decided by more than one goal.
“Our team is embracing the competitiveness of these matches and worked hard to drain out the game for a great weekend,” Lee said. “I’m not sure we’ve ever scored six goals in one weekend on the road to beat two top-50 teams.”
