In his three seasons as LSU soccer coach, Brian Lee has slowly transformed the Tigers into an elite program in the Southeastern Conference. And amid all the attention and aura of college football’s National Signing Day, Lee quietly continued his quest of bringing the Tigers from SEC mediocrity to potential conference powerhouse. Goalkeeper Mo Isom of Marietta, Ga., defender Brittany Potts of Aurora, Ill., and forward Hannah Jobe of Baton Rouge signed with LSU on Wednesday. “We’re very pleased with the outcome of this signing class as it fills some specific needs that we have both in the short term and in the long run,” Lee said in a news release. “Each of these young ladies possesses the characteristics both on and off the field that will allow them to succeed in our program. Team chemistry is always important, and we expect them to fit in very well with our returning players.” The three incoming recruits will replace the three departing seniors from this past season’s team – goalkeeper Valerie Vogler, midfielder Caroline Vanderpool and forward Sarah Pollock. Those three seniors were a major part of the Tigers’ ascension to respectability during Lee’s tenure. In the three seasons before Lee arrived at LSU, the Tigers had a combined record of 26-30-4. Since Lee became coach in 2005, LSU has a 29-23-12 record. This past season was the most successful in the program’s 13-year history. The Tigers won the SEC Western Division crown and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Isom is already enrolled at LSU for the spring semester. The National Soccer Coaches Association of America named her a youth All-American in 2006. The organization also named her to its All-Region team in 2007. “She is a tremendous athlete who possesses all of the physical tools to develop into one of the top goalkeepers in all of women’s college soccer,” Lee said of Isom. “She also adds a new dimension to our team because she can punt the ball 75 yards, and her goal kicks are excellent.” Isom will be replacing Volger, who started all 24 of LSU’s games this past season and finished with 96 saves. Next season’s roster will also be a bit of a family affair for LSU. Potts’ older sister, Chelsea, is a two-time All-SEC defender and started in 23 games this past season. “We’ve got a veteran team coming back, but we could certainly use another ball-winning, athletic center back and defensive midfielder to give us the depth we need to compete for an SEC championship in 2008,” Lee said. “We feel like Brittany [Potts] will play a major role in our success in the fall.” LSU’s roster for next season will consist of only three seniors. The majority of the Tigers’ roster – 14 of 25 players – will be juniors. None of LSU’s departing seniors scored a goal in 2007.
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