LSU soccer showed fans this year that they can do anything they put their mind to. The flip of a switch in less than a year made the Tigers national talk for weeks, as they achieved their highest ranking in school history within the first few games.
The Tigers were ranked No. 6 in the country and hit an 8-0 record, the longest streak in the program’s history. In those eight games, they scored 28 goals and allowed a mere five. In five of those games, they walked out with a clean sheet, including a shutout against Mississippi State. Through eight matches, they’ve already overcome three top-25 opponents and defeated six teams by at least two goals.
And then they lost — three times in a row.
A team that had a 14-game winning streak dating back to March of the spring season suddenly lost their footing and fell to three teams who couldn’t match their record at the time.
So what happened? That’s the big question on everyone’s mind now.
Looking back at two of their last three matches, the Tigers were outshot by a large margin. Against Ole Miss, the team made a mere five shots. Although four were on goal and granted them a high shot-on-goal percentage, those statistics didn’t seem to matter when the Rebels were allowed 19 shots. Ole Miss didn’t take half of their shots on-goal; however, they had nearly four times the chances that the Tigers did to get one into the net. There was a similar situation with their match against Alabama: the Tigers took more shots on goal, but the Crimson Tide had double the chances.
During their undefeated run of the season, the Tigers’ quick playing style granted them an average ball possession of 56%, along with an average 4.8 allowed shots on-goal from the opposing team. Through numerous trial-and-error runs, the team seems to have found comfort with a three-centerback defensive formation.
The three matches prior to their first loss, the Tigers shot an average of 18 shots each game. With such a low amount of shots in their recent games, it’s no surprise that they’ve been shutout for two of them. It’s important that the team stays consistent in their playing style despite their unfamiliarity with the formation and new player additions to the field.
“I want to move the ball through our lines and play to feet,” Head Coach Sian Hudson said. “I want to play an attacking brand of soccer and press high up the field and get a lot of players into the attack.”
This possession-based method of playing allowed them more shot opportunities, but above all, it gave them the confidence in their talent and capabilities within a unity of teamwork. Their second loss, against Georgia, came just a few days after a crushing first defeat from the Rebels. Despite outshooting the Bulldogs, they still lost to a goal in overtime after being tied for over eighty minutes. Similar to last year, the Tigers weren’t beaten by a landslide, but seemingly couldn’t execute their usual level of performance.
Other factors to take into account are the doubled amount of fouls and yellow cards they received in comparison to Alabama. They were away from their usual stomping grounds for two of their biggest rivals. However, LSU still has plenty of time to recover and shouldn’t be shaken up by a few bad games.
Besides, Hudson still stands by her word when she said that she’s focused on the Tigers in the long run. New coaches, staff and players can be bewildering and doesn’t ever ensure consistency within a team, no matter how talented they are.
“We had the makeup of a really good team. We certainly changed up the playing style” said Hudson, a native of Newport, Wales. “The group we inherited were very athletic and maybe a little more direct. They would go from back to front really quickly, and use their athleticism at a high level. I think my vision for the game is slightly different than that.”
The 2021 team brought in four freshmen and eight transfers. A combination of fresh talent and veteran experience, paired with a new mentality was a vital attribute to the team’s quick turnaround.
Transfers Garcia and Athena Kuehn have already found a rhythm within the team thus far. Garcia boasts five goals and two assists on the season already. Former defender Kuehn has shown to be more than capable as an attacker in the midfield, owning three goals and two assists herself. And of course, the impact that senior Tinaya Alexander has had on the season so far is unforgettable. The forward is tied for fourth in LSU history in career assists and ranked 21st in the nation for number of goals. The England native recorded four goals and an assist in a single game this season.
She is just one out of 11 players who’ve scored this season though, with other players such as Molly Thompson, Rammie Noel, Taylor Doble, and Meghan Johnson also scoring. 11 is a tough number to swallow for the defense of opposing teams this season. Not to mention, goalkeeper Mollee Swift averaged .84 goals since her arrival in 2020, LSU’s defense is arguably as strong as their offense.
Experienced midfielder Chiara Ritchie-Williams spoke with the NCAA three weeks ago in lieu of their first SEC matchup. “Regardless of the score, and whether we won the game or not, there is still a lot for us to improve,” Williams said. “For us, I think [the difference] has been making sure that we aren’t complacent, and making sure that anything that we’ve been told to work on, we are working our tails off every day of the week and improving on what we have achieved.” Williams understands the leaps and bounds that the team has made in such a short time, but she was aware that the Tigers would meet challenges that might discourage them along the way.
After a historic, record-breaking start of a season and then the abrupt, crushing disappointment of back-to-back losses, the Tigers are fully aware of the challenges that lie ahead on their hopeful path to a championship year. Within the last week, the SEC has proven to be a competitive conference to conquer, but LSU soccer has no intentions of slowing down just yet.
“Of course, if we have to be direct we’re going to [try to] do that,” Hudson said. “We want to win games and we want to excite the fans, but I think teams that control tempo are the ones that succeed in the long term.”
In their next battle on Oct 7, the Tigers will face Texas A&M in another highly anticipated SEC showdown. The Tigers are looking to avenge their last time out with the Aggies, who gave them a tough 0-1 loss that took the team out of the 2020 SEC Tournament last year.
The Tigers made a miraculous comeback last season, it would be no surprise if they did it again. The team is still eager to prove that to come back from a losing season and become one of the leading contenders of the SEC isn’t just a dream, but a reality.
LSU soccer will kick off in Baton Rouge at 6 p.m. Thursday to show their fans and their adversaries that they aren’t out of the race just yet.
