The weekend could have been much worse for the LSU soccer team.Thanks to senior leadership and a couple late goals on Sunday by senior midfielder Melissa Clarke, the Tigers (2-1-1) left the South Florida Invitational unbeaten after a 2-1 win against South Florida (1-2-1).LSU outshot South Florida, 15-10, in the game and 10-5 in the second half to help secure the victory.”Sunday afternoons are very difficult games, and this was a hot one,” said LSU coach Brian Lee. “To be playing our best in the 80th and 90th minutes — and even on Friday against Central Florida, to be playing our best in overtime — is a really positive sign for both the fitness and commitment of the team.”The Tigers had to display some resiliency Sunday. LSU was down, 1-0, after the first 70 minutes of play.USF midfielder Noelle Pineiro scored on a penalty kick after teammate Gina Pacheco was taken down in the box in the 64th minute — a penalty not even Lee could debate.”It wasn’t even close,” Lee said. “We chopped her down pretty good.”Clarke answered the goal with an exclamation point by tying the game when sophomore midfielder Taryne Boudreau found her on a give-and-go in which Clarke beat the defense to score.”I saw the defense beginning to spread out a little more than they did in the first half,” Clarke said. “Taryne made me a great one-two right in between the two defensive backs.”Clarke then put the game away in the 88th minute as she corralled the rebound of her own shot and struck a left-footed goal to give the Tigers the 2-1 victory.”I took a shot, and it rebounded off the keeper, and I followed up and got redemption and put it away a second time,” Clarke said.Lee said he was thrilled with the team’s ability to bounce back.”When we gave up a penalty to go down a goal, it was a real character test for the girls,” he said. “Melissa and her teammates really stepped up in a big way.”Lee said while Clarke has shown her abilities throughout her career in Baton Rouge, Sunday may have been the most impressive she’s looked at a crucial moment.”She’s an excellent player,” he said. “At different moments during the game she’s very dominant. It’s probably the best she’s stepped up in a huge moment for our team.”Clarke said she’s been a little frustrated the first couple games about missed opportunities, and it was a relief to get a breakout game.”I finally capitalized,” she said. “I’ve been having chances all yesterday and all today, and it was a great feeling to finally put two in.”TWO OVERTIMESLSU battled for 110 minutes to an eventual double-overtime draw against Central Florida (3-1-1) on Friday. After a two-hour rain delay at halftime, Friday’s match finished, 0-0, as neither team could muster a goal despite a few overtime chances.The Tigers outshot the Golden Knights, 18-11. Senior forward Rachel Yepez fired a shot off the crossbar at the end of the second overtime.Sophomore goalkeeper Mo Isom only gave up one goal — a penalty kick — all weekend.”Mo did great. She made big strides from earlier in the season,” Lee said. “She’s getting sharper. She’s training really, really hard.”Despite the team’s recent success, Lee said the team as a whole still needs to work on staying sharp for an entire 90 minutes.- – – -Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected]