There may not be a group of people who hate the phrase “penalty kicks” more than the 2009 LSU soccer team.Shootouts were the demise of the Tigers in both the Southeastern Conference tournament and the NCAA tournament.The Tigers made it to the SEC tournament final for the first time ever but fell to South Carolina, 8-7, in shootouts after the Gamecocks tied it, 1-1, in the waning minutes of the second half.LSU lost to Texas A&M in penalty kicks, 4-2, in the second round of the NCAA tournament after taking care of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 7-0, in the first round.But despite the anticlimactic finish, the 2009 LSU soccer team may have done more for the program than any team in the past.The 2009 Tigers put LSU on the national map. The Tigers were a No. 4-seed in the NCAA tournament and hosted the first two rounds of the tournament for the first time ever. The expectations were huge heading into what was widely considered LSU coach Brian Lee’s best team since he arrived in Baton Rouge in December 2004.The veteran squad consisted of eight seniors, six of whom were consistent starters. With a back line led by Katherine Lagow, Nikki Bush and Chelsea Potts, the experienced defense only allowed more than one goal in an SEC game on one occasion during the regular season.Senior midfielder Malorie Rutledge was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. Rutledge was also named to the 2009 Women’s College Team of the Season and is a candidate for the National Player of the Year.Sophomore goalkeeper Mo Isom became LSU’s all-time career shutout leader with 19, including the SEC and NCAA tournaments. She broke the record with her 16th shutout in a 4-0 win against Mississippi State on Oct. 18. Isom had 10 shutouts in the regular season, one in the SEC tournament and another in the NCAA tournament.Potts and Rutledge were named to the All-SEC First Team. Senior midfielder Melissa Clarke and sophomore midfielder Allysha Chapman made second-team All-SEC. “Allysha Chapman is so important for us,” Isom said. “We sit down, look at the players and look who’s going to be marking up. Chappy always has the goal of getting on their top player’s butt. She works extremely hard.”Freshman Carlie Banks, who made the SEC All-Freshman team, headlines the bright stars that are blossoming for the Tigers. “We had a college-ready player when we got her,” Lee said.Banks and Rutledge both recorded hat tricks during the season. Rutledge led the team in goals with 13, while Banks was third in scoring with seven behind Clarke, who had 12.Injuries plagued the Tigers late in the season, and one can only wonder what would have occurred if LSU had stayed healthy throughout the year.Among the injuries were a hurt arm for Rutledge, a hamstring injury for Clarke and an ankle injury for senior forward Rachel Yepez, which kept her out of games and hadn’t fully healed by the end of the season.Lee praised Yepez’s efforts throughout the season and emphasized how essential she was to the team’s success in her LSU tenure.”Rachel’s really, really important,” Lee said. “She’s kind of the heart and soul of our team.”Lee has progressively done better every season in terms of wins and said next year’s squad should continue the trend.”We’re extremely excited about the future with some of the kids already in the program and the ones that are coming,” Lee said. “I think we will do more in the NCAA tournament in coming years, and the seniors deserve a lot of credit for getting us to this point.”Rutledge emphasized all year that regardless of the season’s outcome, she wanted her senior class to help turn LSU into a renowned national program.”I feel like we’ve kind of set a foundation for LSU soccer,” Rutledge said.Before Rutledge and the seniors arrived in Baton Rouge, the team was 8-10-2 overall and 3-7-1 in the SEC in the 2005-06 season. This season, LSU finished with a 15-4-5 overall record and an 8-2-1 record in the SEC. The 15 wins tied a school single-season record.After the team was ranked in the national top 10 at one point during the season, it’s hard to argue against Rutledge.—-Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected]