For the first time in its 14-year history, the LSU Soccer Complex is playing host to the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament beginning Friday.”To have the home crowd behind us is definitely going to help us out,” said senior midfielder Malorie Rutledge. “I think we’re great at home — knock on wood.”The No. 11 LSU soccer team (14-4-4, 8-2-1) will battle Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament champion Arkansas-Pine Bluff (12-6-4, 3-1 SWAC) on Friday at 7 p.m.The No. 4-seed Tigers hope to reverse their misfortune at the national level after a heartbreaking shootout loss to South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference tournament.”Three games in five days is just tough, and our legs kind of went out,” said LSU coach Brian Lee regarding the SEC tournament. “But you won’t see that situation again. We’ve got two games this weekend, and we feel good about where we are moving forward.”Lee has never played the Lady Lions before but has heard good things from their opponents.”They’re getting lots of positive reviews from the teams that have played them,” he said. “They’re certainly going to be dangerous going forward, and they’ve won 10 of their last 11.”Unlike senior-laden LSU, Arkansas Pine-Bluff is decorated with underclassmen.”Their coach has done a really good job of recruiting a lot of foreign players who have really good backgrounds,” Lee said. “It’s a freshman- [and] sophomore-dominated team, and they’re going to be very good for years to come.”The Lady Lions won the SWAC tournament with a 1-0 win against Prairie View A&M. Sophomore Jade West had two goals in the tournament and was named the tournament MVP.Some of the Tigers, including Rutledge and senior forward Rachel Yepez, have not been at full strength after dealing with injuries. But Lee isn’t concerned about his team’s health.”Every team in the 64[-team bracket] has got dings and bruises and bumps that they’ve got to get through,” Lee said. “But we’re as healthy as we probably can be at this point.”The brace on Rutledge’s arm would say otherwise. But she said she’s more than capable of producing on the field.”It’s just a little swollen and a little sore, but I’m fine,” she said. “I’m good to go.”Senior midfielder Melissa Clarke said her team is poised to get the job done this weekend.”If we play well, usually we get the results we want,” she said.Clarke is confident, but she said she won’t underestimate the Lady Lions.”It’s a nice opener for the tournament to know that it’s more in our favor, probably,” Clarke said. “But you can never take it too lightly. Teams like that can often surprise you.”Lee said the experience LSU gained from the shootout last weekend will benefit the Tigers. Sophomore goalkeeper Mo Isom wasn’t only saving shots last weekend but buried a goal of her own in the penalty kicks.”We’re probably eight deep where we’re pretty certain in the shooters,” Lee said. “If we get all the way to nine or 10 it’ll be a little bit of a needle in a haystack where we’ll just pick somebody out.”Texas A&M and Memphis square off before the Tigers at the LSU Soccer Complex at 4 p.m. The winners of the Friday matches face off Sunday at 1 p.m. to see who advances to the Sweet 16 at a location yet to be determined.Memphis handed LSU its first home-opening loss since 1997 earlier in the season in a 2-0 decision. The last time the Tigers saw the Aggies was in a spring exhibition earlier this year which ended in a draw.- – – -Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected]