In front of a record home crowd, the LSU soccer team played a grueling double-overtime thriller with Rice on Friday night, earning a 1-1 draw in a rain-soaked LSU Soccer Stadium. “We certainly took a big step forward from Oklahoma on Monday night,” said a visibly frustrated LSU head coach Brian Lee after the match. “We’d like to have come all the way back [for a win].” Rice midfielder Holly Hargreaves gave the Owls’ the early lead with a lengthy strike in the 16th minute.  “We created some chances, but we put ourselves in that hole,” Lee said. “To give up a shot from 40 yards uncontested when it’s six vs. zero and we’re all backing up, you just can’t do that.”  The Tigers’ finally evened the sheet in the 74th minute when sophomore forward Kaley Blades took a rebound and found the net from five yards out. LSU played the final 25 minutes a man up after Rice midfielder Lauren Busansky was ejected following two yellow cards.  The Tigers’ best opportunity in overtime came when senior midfielder Natalie Ieyoub nearly buried a 20-yard shot in the 105th minute, but the ball grazed the crossbar. Freshman midfielder Fernanda Piña corralled the rebound, but could not convert from close range.  “It would have been great to come back, and I thought we did when Ieyoeb hit the crossbar,” Lee said. The Tigers’ return to action on Sunday at 1 p.m. against North Carolina State.  “Sunday games are always a grind,” Lee said. “It’s their first experience with it for this group, so we’ll see how it goes.”
 
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