The LSU soccer team shook off last season’s road woes sooner rather than later. It still took 108 minutes. Sophomore midfielder Alex Arlitt buried a 20-yard goal off a rebound in the second overtime, breaking a scoreless tie to push LSU (1-0) past the Oklahoma Sooners (1-1), 1-0, in an exhilarating season opener. With both teams running on fumes after missing numerous scoring chances and only seven minutes remaining in the match, Arlitt didn’t let her opportunity go to waste. “The ball was played out wide right, and [freshman midfielder] Fernanda Piña hooked it back across the box,” LSU coach Brian Lee said. “Alex was waiting and she crushed it. The keeper didn’t have much of a chance.” It was just the third goal of Ariltt’s career after starting all 22 games last fall in the defensive third. For the Tigers, it was a decidedly different tone to kick off their defense of its 2011 SEC Western Division title. Memphis hammered LSU 3-0 last season, jumpstarting the Tigers’ woeful 2-4 non-conference road mark. Early in the action, OU seemed poised to deliver another debut beatdown on LSU, as the Sooners tallied six shots and five corner kicks in a dominant first-half effort. “They were just sharper than us in that initial 45 [minutes],” Lee said. “You could tell they had a game under their belt already. It’s hard to replicate game speed in the preseason.” But OU senior forward Renae Cuellar squandered three close-range looks late in the half, and LSU swung the tide for the final 53 minutes. LSU junior goalkeeper Megan Kinneman’s services were still necessary despite the Tigers’ improved second-half effort. She saved five Sooner shots and swatted away two sure goals late in regulation. Pina led the gradual push toward Arlitt’s golden goal, tallying three of LSU’s five shots on goal in the match and setting up the clincher. “She was probably our best player out there tonight,” Lee said. “Her passing was sharp, and she was the leader for most of our chances.” With a dramatic 1-0 start under its belt, the Tigers return home for a monthlong, 10-match homestead, beginning with Rice on Friday night.
 
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