LSU soccer is shooting for success as SEC play begins against undefeated Arkansas, the fourth-ranked team in the country, on Thursday, Sept. 19.
The team played their last non-conference match on Sunday and gave it their all in a back-and-forth battle for the lead where the Aggies eventually came out on top 4-3. After the tough loss, the Tigers stand at 5-2-1 heading into the SEC.
Head coach Sian Hudson said she is “overall, really pleased” with LSU’s pre-SEC performance despite a few hiccups along the road.
“I think we’ve started to fine-tune our identity in recent weeks, which for me right now, is just being organized and compact defensively and then looking to be a team that dominates territory when we can by being really efficient with our press, and then in moments of transition, looking to counter-attack teams,” Hudson explained.
Arkansas will be the test, sitting 7th in the SEC standings, 5th in the SEC West and ranked No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25.
The Razorbacks have had their taste of success in multiple categories including scoring 35 goals so far in the season–more than any other SEC team.
Currently, LSU stands 10th in the SEC and 6th in the SEC West pre-conference.
Last fall, LSU tied Arkansas 1-1 at home with both goals in the late second half. Danielle Shannon assisted and top scorer Ava Galligan was who put the ball in the net, putting LSU into the lead before Arkansas matched them six minutes later.
The team must improve their record if they want to remain in the top 10 and qualify for the championship tournament. With the addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC, the competition is tighter than ever among the 16 teams competing for a spot.
With that in mind, Hudson named four players she thinks will be key to success in SEC play.
“I would say Sydney Cheesman has been exceptional for us in the back line,” Hudson said. “Her ability to dictate the rhythm and tempo of us, of our play and possession, has been a mainstay over the course of the nonconference stretch.”
Cheesman enters her first SEC match tallying four assists this season. Two assists were corner kicks, and the other half were free kicks.
Most likely, she will be a standout on LSU’s defense in SEC play as she was throughout preconference play.
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Hudson also named an offensive player who will be critical to the teams success.
“I think Ida Hermannsdottir on the attacking end of the field, obviously, she’s got six goals this season,” she said.
During LSU’s match with the University of Lafayette, the midfielder nailed a penalty kick into the top of the net, and 13 seconds later, scored from outside of the 18-yard box off of an intercepted pass, becoming the fastest back-to-back goals by any player in program history.
In six matches, LSU scored 18 goals, which means a third of those goals belong to Hermannsdottir. She will be a player to watch as LSU and Arkansas are high-scoring teams who have yet to be shut out by an opponent.
Other players to watch through SEC play include midfielder Danielle Shannon and forward Sage Glover.
“I think a little bit of an unsung hero, somebody that’s been incredibly consistent for us this season has been Dani [Danielle] Shannon in the heart of the midfield and Sage Glover off the left wing,” Hudson said.
Shannon scored her first goal against the University of San Francisco after 11 shots over seven games. With two assists, she has been an opportunistic player who uses quick runs that catch her opponent off guard.
Glover’s first goal of the season was the game-tyer against the University of Utah, and her quick thinking made her a catalyst for success in several matches.
Glover scored the third goal against UC Davis with the help of Shannon after a through-ball she sent inside of the 18-yard box. The goal reset the match at 3-3 for a thrilling eight-minute race for the win.
Delivering in crucial moments like this will be necessary in the upcoming SEC matches. A good result against Arkansas is exactly what LSU needs as they begin to make their way around the SEC.
The Tigers will play Arkansas at Razorback Field in Fayetteville and come home on Sunday, Sept. 22 to play No. 12 Ole Miss.
“I think those four players have probably been our most consistent players this season, and players that were really looking to springboard us into success as the SEC play opens up,” Hudson said.
