Forward Tinaya Alexander will miss the remainder of her junior campaign after suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Alexander has played a pivotal role in the Tigers’ success since arriving in Baton Rouge. The England native was one of the most exciting freshman to join the Division I rankings in 2017, and she lived up to the hype in her rookie campaign.
Alexander started in every game for the Tigers as a freshman and proved herself to be a huge offensive asset to the team. She ended her freshman campaign as LSU’s second-leading scorer with three goals and a team-leading seven assists. The Tigers held a 4-1-0 record when Alexander registered at least one assist during the match.
In her sophomore campaign, Alexander picked up right where she left off. Starting in 23 of the 24 matches for LSU, Alexander maintained her offensive dominance, leading the team in assists for the second straight season.
As a junior, Alexander was honored by being named on the Southeastern Conference preseason watch list, along with three other Tigers.
But with the loss of Alexander, the Tigers are without an essential piece of their offense. Alexander’s absence allows many young Tigers the opportunity to gain significant playing time and experience and has put more pressure on other experienced Tigers to step up.
“We definitely miss her presence on the field,” said senior midfielder Marlena Cutura. “Tianya is a really great technical player.”
Maddie Moreau has emerged as a huge offensive tool in this Tigers offense. The freshman forward from Youngsville, Louisiana had high expectations coming to campus after being named the 2018-2019 Louisiana Gatorade Girls High School Player of the Year.
Moreau played in and started every match for the Tigers in her freshman year thus far. Although she has only registered one goal in 15 matches, she has helped create a multitude of offensive opportunities for LSU and has been a rock on the defensive side.
“Tinaya has been a great offensive weapon and has a lot of talent,” LSU coach Debbie Hensley said. “Maddie has stepped up in a big way for us. It is unfortunate for Alexander and us, but injuries are just a part of the game.”
LSU has struggled overall with Alexander both in and out the lineup this season. The Tigers have not won since Aug. 30, and currently sit at 2-11-2. They have three regular season matches left before the SEC tournament.
