The LSU soccer team may find a partner in commiseration when it hits the road in the Southeastern Conference for the first time this season Friday night.
The Tigers (4-4-3) travel to Starkville to face Mississippi State (7-3-1), who may be the only other league team that can match LSU’s recent woes.
Like LSU, the Bulldogs are 0-3-1 in SEC play, losing three SEC games by a combined score of 13-2, but curiously drawing to league favorite South Carolina. State began the season 7-0 and averaged nearly three goals per match in non-conference play.
LSU coach Brian Lee said he expects the Bulldogs to resemble the team that raced to a fast start.
“This is the best Mississippi State team we’ve ever seen,” Lee said. “They’re a little more athletic than they normally are. We’ll have our hands full, especially with it being the first road game in the SEC.”
A stern test would be a welcome change in the series. The Tigers have dominated MSU during Lee’s tenure, winning all seven matches and outscoring the Bulldogs 15-3 since 2009.
But this year’s LSU team doesn’t exactly mirror the ones that have pillaged State on the pitch.
The Tigers are reeling after a winless four-match home stretch to open SEC play, the first time in Lee’s eight seasons LSU failed to earn a win in three home matches, much less four.
Five Tiger freshmen who start or play significant minutes — led by co-leading scorers Heather Magee and Fernanda Piña — will make their SEC road debuts against the Bulldogs.
“Every year, it’s a new game,” Lee said. “With the turnover in rosters, it’s about that one game and not what you’ve done against a team in the past. These freshmen haven’t beaten State.”
One of the Tigers’ lone bright spots has been junior goalkeeper Megan Kinneman, who has allowed one goal per match and saved 55 shots this season.
Kinneman said a change of venue could help a Tiger team that is still adjusting to one another.
“We’ve always said the SEC is won on the road.” Kinneman said. “That’s when you decide what kind of season you’re going to have. This is our chance to come together and turn it around.”
Kinneman and LSU’s defenders will be tasked with stopping a dynamic State frontline, led by junior striker Elisabeth Sullivan and her already career-high seven goals.
“She’s lightning quick and produces or contributes to a lot of their goals,” Lee said. “She’s tough to slow down.”
Aiding Sullivan in the attacking third is freshman Honeye Heydari, who has five goals, and sophomore Amy Hoover, who has four goals.
Despite the Tigers’ well-documented road struggles as of late — LSU’s three current seniors are 13-15-6 in opposing stadiums — senior Natalie Ieyoub said the SEC’s volatility could help them turn the season around.
“There’s been a lot of surprising results around the league already,” she said. “Records hopefully don’t matter at this point.”
