The LSU soccer team ended its season Sunday on a good note with a 9-0 victory over first-year team Southern University and secured a winning season finishing 10-9-1 on the year.
“Overall, I am very pleased with this game today,” said LSU coach George Fotopoulos. “We went out with class.”
Fotopoulos said it was important for LSU to finish with a winning record and salvage what it could from a season without any postseason play. This season marks the first time the LSU soccer team has had two consecutive winning seasons.
“A winning season is a winning season,” Fotopoulos said. “In football, it gets you to a bowl. In basketball, it gets you to the NIT. In soccer, it helps you positively in recruiting and helps the confidence of the team. Having a winning record does matter because it says you did lose but you won the majority of the times and were competitive.”
The Tigers got on top of the Jaguars early ending the first half with a 6-0 lead. The LSU seniors contributed a majority of the goals, including three goals from senior midfielder Rachel Cohen.
“Basically, its just good to end on a positive note,” Cohen said. “I think we’ve had a long season. The seniors have had a long four years. It’s good to go out winning and with a winning record. It’s a good feeling.”
Sophomore midfielder Kate Ripple said it was important for the Tigers to go out with a win.
“It meant a lot,” Ripple said. “Because I know if we would of gone out on a six-game losing streak, we wouldn’t have had the right attitude going into next season. We would of just been mentally down. ”
Fotopoulos honored the six departing seniors after the game.
“It’s a mix of emotions. I’m confused about what I’m going to do now, but I am excited,” said senior midfielder Jen deHay. “I am happy to be done and that I was part of a team that was so good because I know they are going to take off from where we left them.”
Fotopoulos credited the outgoing class with being the building blocks of a successful program.
“Sometimes you can’t base contributions solely on wins and losses or championships,” Fotopoulos said. “These seniors came in and took over a program that had only won four games the year before. Even before that, it had not been a very good team. They are the class that will be remembered solely because they put the first block on the wall. They were the nucleus that put in the first block to get LSU to national prominence. ”
LSU also honored outgoing assistant coach Tracy Hay by retiring her jersey and displaying above the goal.