After a momentous last half of the season, LSU was met with postseason rematches that propelled them into a run unlike any the program has ever seen.
In the first round of the SEC tournament, No. 5 LSU opened with a rematch against No. 12 Auburn. It was another high-energy game, and the Tigers edged out a 3-2 win to reach the quarterfinal.
Defense for LSU played the biggest role that game. With six saves on the night, senior goalkeeper Sophine Kevorkian tied her season high, which was earned in the previous matchup against the Orange and Blue Tigers.
Auburn fired 20 shots, but LSU’s back line held firm to preserve a win against a team that controlled 58% of possession.
Now on an eight-game unbeaten streak, the Tigers were set to face No. 4 Tennessee in the quarterfinal.
Having previously lost to the Rocky Top team by a one-goal deficit in September, the Tigers headed onto the pitch with equal amounts of momentum and motivation. The result — a 2-0 shutout — made that known.
Between the posts for LSU this time was Audur Scheving, who earned three saves and let zero goals get past her.
It was a game defined by pressure, with the Tigers pushing the ball into dangerous areas whenever they could. Finding only 13 total shots, six of them being on target, LSU made its chances count.
Freshman Sariayh Bailey stood out on the pitch, earning two assists, while goals by Ida Hermannsdottir and Morgan Wits, earning their seventh and fifth goals of the season, sent LSU to the semi-final for the first time since 2018.
It was the furthest the program had gone in the tournament under head coach Sian Hudson’s leadership. The Tigers now stepped up to No. 8 Mississippi after its upset over No. 1 Arkansas.
Mississippi jumped ahead 1-0 just two minutes in, but LSU quickly settled and took control.
Three goals by LSU followed and sent the Bulldogs home after a stellar performance by Scheving, who returned to the pitch for the second consecutive night.
Now 10 games unbeaten, LSU was headed to the championship for a rematch with the team with which it began conference play.
The championship battle with Vanderbilt was a nail-biting experience for both sides. Unlike most of the previous games in the tournament, the stat sheet seemed to tilt in favor of the Tigers.
Outshooting the Commodores 14-10 and tying in saves on the night, it would seem as if LSU should have had the competitive edge.
Even so, an unforgiving Vanderbilt team showed just why it’s ranked No. 8 in the nation. After letting up a goal to LSU’s Gabbi Ceballos in the first half, Vanderbilt struggled to answer back before halftime.
Once again, the goal for LSU was Scheving, and a defensive effort managed to deflect any Commodore shots through the majority of the game.
It wasn’t until the 69th minute that a scuffle in front of the Tigers’ goal gave Vanderbilt the opportunity to easily send the ball to the back of the net for a late-game tie.
As both teams continued to battle, neither would find another goal through the rest of regulation or the two periods of overtime.
Now a battle of penalty kicks, the Tigers saw the chance at the trophy twice, but it was just out of reach as a 10th-round penalty kick handed Vanderbilt the win.
Though it was a moment of disappointment, the loss wasn’t totally discouraging. Not only had they carried Vanderbilt through to a shootout, but they proved just how much they’ve improved as a team.
The Tigers’ SEC tournament stretch featured nine goals and pushed their unbeaten streak to ten. Heading into the final leg of the postseason, the Tigers carried steady momentum and a growing confidence in their recent form of SEC play.
With under a week to prepare, LSU turned to its next battle in the first round of the NCAA tournament against Houston Christian University.
Even with little rest, the Tigers proved they hadn’t lost rhythm with a 4-1 win over the Huskies. Controlling possession for 67% of the match, the Tiger offense outshot HCU 29-3.
Adding to her season total of nine goals was Bailey, who earned her second brace of the season. Among those goal scorers was also Hermannsdottir and Ceballos, both of whom added to a scoreline that would send the Tigers to the second round.
Historically, the second round has always been difficult for the Tigers, as they’ve never been able to make it through. This team, however, was different.
Set to face Iowa in Nashville on Nov. 20, a weather delay gave both teams extra time to prepare, and they regathered to play the next day. LSU found a late-game goal to steal the win from the Hawkeyes.
Though the black and gold team found the opening goal, a penalty kick from Hermansdottir quickly evened the score.
A protective effort by Scheving held the score at 1-1 until the go-ahead by Ava Galligan secured the win for LSU, upping her season total to 11 goals.
As Scheving earned her sixth win of the season, the Tigers moved on to the third round for the first time in program history in a third rematch against Vanderbilt.
Despite Scheving’s six-save performance, she was met with second-half pressure from Vanderbilt. Melania Fullerton found the breakthrough in the 64th minute, delivering the decisive goal that gave a 1-0 win to the Commodores.
Though at the end of what LSU hoped to be a championship run, the Tigers headed home proud of what they accomplished.
Setting records for season wins, goals scored and a longest-ever undefeated streak, LSU delivered the most successful postseason campaign in team history to secure its spot among the program’s all-time greats.
