It wasn’t a win – but it wasn’t a loss, either.  
After dropping three straight games to ranked opponents, the LSU soccer team battled to a 0-0 tie at No. 10 BYU (5-0-1) on Thursday.
Defense was the flavor of the night as both sides failed to register many shots on target. Despite being outshot, 15-6, LSU (1-3-1) finished with a 3-2 advantage in shots on goal.
It was a stark contrast from the teams’ showdown in 2008 that made headlines when then-freshman goalkeeper Mo Isom scored on a 90-yard free kick to ice a 4-1 LSU win.
The Tigers shifted around their lineup, sending junior midfielder Allysha Chapman to play left back. Chapman looked right at home, disrupting multiple breakaways and helping to shut down a potent BYU attack.
The crowd of 3,117 – the largest the Tigers have played in front of during Brian Lee’s tenure – set the tone for another physical match that saw the teams combine for 28 fouls. Additionally, LSU was shown its eighth yellow card of the season after collecting only 14 in all of 2009.
While no one would dispute that the result was an improvement upon the team’s past three efforts, the quality of play may have even surpassed that of the Tigers’ season opening 8-0 win against South Alabama.
“It was as close to a complete game as we’ve played so far this season,” said associate head coach Debbie Hensley. “I think the team as a whole took a big step forward tonight in terms of pulling the whole thing together.”
The Tigers will certainly be disappointed with their inability to produce a quality win against a string of tough opponents. However, a tough SEC schedule awaits in the coming weeks, giving the young squad plenty of chances to prove itself before tournament time.
“I think we are still on course to have a very good season,” Hensley said. “We’ve had big challenges early this year. If anything, I think it’s prepared us for this SEC schedule we’re about to start. All of our goals are still where they were when we started.”
Absent from the pitch was freshman forward Kaley Blades, who scored in LSU’s 3-1 loss to Wake Forest and started the subsequent match against Virginia Tech this past Sunday.
Sophomore midfielder Natalie Ieyoub also earned her first start of the season, while freshman midfielder Nina Anderson came off the bench for just the second time.
Sophomore forward Carlie Banks provided most of the offensive spark, firing three of the team’s six shots, including one on goal that very nearly gave LSU a 1-0 lead before halftime. 
While the Tigers are wrapped fully in the throes of an offensive slump, scoring just one goal in four games after an eight-goal outburst to start the season, a temporary reprieve will most likely arrive Sunday in the form of UL-Lafayette.
LSU has never lost to the Cajuns in seven matches and most recently claimed a 4-0 win in 2009.
“Now that we feel that we’ve played a complete game, obviously the last piece is that you have to score a goal to win the game,” said Hensley. “We’ll definitely talk about that heading into Sunday’s game and try to put it all together.” 
 
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Contact Ryan Ginn at [email protected].