Every time LSU soccer has been in the SEC championship, the game ends in a penalty kick shootout after a 1-1 score.
In Sunday’s game, the Tigers controlled the first half with a 1-0 lead but could not hold off a Vanderbilt comeback in the second.
The teams ended the game tied with a goal each, and after double overtime, silence took over the stands for the intense 10 rounds of penalty kicks that followed.
Eight consecutive makes led to Vanderbilt’s 8-7 lead in the tenth round. LSU senior captain Jazmin Ferguson’s attempt to tie it up was saved, giving the win to the Commodores.
“I’m just so proud of [the team], proud of everyone,” LSU goalkeeper Audur Scheving said after facing 10 penalty kicks. “It’s a tough game, tired legs, four games in one week. I think we did amazing.”
LSU made it to the brink of an SEC championship. It all started with early control in the first half. The Tigers kept the ball in enemy territory for the first few minutes of the game, pressuring the Commodore defense.
It was evident early that both teams came to play a physical game, and Vanderbilt made many Tigers hit the deck. The Commodores had three fouls within the first eight minutes and many others that LSU fans wanted called.
Despite the early adversity, the Tigers’ first and only goal came quickly.
LSU received a corner kick in the 25th minute, and their set-piece magic worked once again as head coach Sian Hudson had all players run toward the goal as Ida Hermannsdottir delivered the kick.
Gabbi Ceballos flawlessly headed the ball to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
Vanderbilt was feeling the pressure and becoming feeble on offense. Foul calls were a constant source of contention between the teams, but LSU was not deterred by what it could not control. Ferguson, Sydney Cheesman and Jocelyn Ollivierre continued to hold down the defense and make clutch clears to stop shot opportunities for Vanderbilt.
At the net, Scheving got her third straight start of the week. She went on to make five saves in the 110 minutes of play.
After Ceballos’ goal, the first half saw no more shots, just tough and tighter defense. The clock dipped down to all zeroes, and LSU took its 1-0 lead into the locker room.
Throughout the first period, it was clear both teams were growing weary, especially LSU, which played one more game in the tournament than Vanderbilt.
“That extra game probably took a little bit more out of our legs, but the girls emptied the tank,” Hudson said after the game.
Headed into the second half with a crucial lead over the Commodores and the game on the line, clear pressure was applied to the leading Baton Rouge team.
Multiple yellows were given to the Tigers in the second half, including two on players and one on coach Hudson. The most pivotal yellow was handed to midfielder Makenna Dominguez in the 68th minute, which resulted in a costly free kick for Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt took the shot on goal from the front of LSU’s box. Jumping for the block, Scheving was knocked down in the action, and a rebound off of Vivian Akyirem gave the Commodores the tying goal in the back of the net.
With just five minutes remaining in the half, both teams powered on in search of a second goal, but as the clock ticked down to zero, the scoreline remained tied, and both teams prepared for overtime.
As the first overtime round progressed, LSU continued to apply pressure on the Commodores’ net, but neither team scored, sending it into double overtime.
Energy seemed tense for both teams in the second overtime as they laid out shots on goal. Despite pressurized efforts from both sides, the ball bounced back and forth in possession with no give by either side.
With just a minute left, a call on the Commodores gave the Tigers a last chance effort at a free kick goal, but a save by Vanderbilt’s SEC Goalkeeper of the Year Sara Wojdelko sent the game into a penalty kick shootout.
LSU was ahead in the first five rounds and had two opportunities to win. On the fourth kick, the Tigers were up 3-1, but Gadea Blanco Gonzalez missed what could’ve been the winning penalty.
After Vanderbilt tied it at three, Morgan Witz stepped up in the fifth position. Wojdelko saved her shot to send the shootout into sudden death. Vanderbilt would shoot first, followed by an LSU player, until one missed and the other scored.
A suspenseful 10 rounds ensued, as both teams reached a 7-7 tie by the end of the ninth. Ferguson was next in line but couldn’t complete the job in the final frame. Her shot was low and to the left, which Wojdelko was able to dive behind just in time.
After the game, Hudson acknowledged the fact that the two best teams in the SEC were truly playing like it, making the game tight. She thought LSU was the better team in regulation, but could not capitalize on its opportunities to swerve overtime.
“I think we had a great run,” LSU forward Ava Galligan said. “I think we were the underdog all the way through, I think we’re still the underdog.”
Despite the devastating ending to their title run, the Tigers still have a chance to redeem themselves in the NCAA tournament to finish the postseason.
