LSU soccer won in dominating fashion against Lamar 3-1 in the first round of play in the NCAA Tournament Friday night.
LSU’s victory against Lamar was its first win in the postseason since 2018. LSU scored goals in the 31st, 37th and 63rd minutes. It is also LSU’s third win at the NCAA Tournament in program history and the first under Head Coach Sian Hudson. The three goals mark the second-highest number of goals in a single NCAA Tournament game for the Tigers. The last time LSU scored three goals in a NCAA tournament game was in LSU’s 7-0 win versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff in 2009.
“I am just absolutely thrilled. What a great performance by the team,” Hudson said. “It was a professional performance. We managed the ball really well and we scored three really great goals. Overall, we were the better team for the larger portion of the match. Lamar tested us in the first 20 minutes or so and forced us to make tactical changes early on, but after that we got a hold of the ball and were comfortable and created various opportunities from that point forward.”
The first goal of the game was scored by Ida Hermannsdottir. Forward Angelina Thoreson sent a through ball down the right flank to fellow attacker Mollie Baker. Baker outran her defender before slicing her way into the box and sending a ground cross to Hermannsdottir, who then gracefully footed the ball into the back of an open net.
Hermannsdottir’s goal was her seventh of the year, which leads the team.  Baker recorded assist No. 6 on the season while Thoreson was credited with her eighth of the year, which leads the team.
The second goal of the game was scored by goalkeeper Mollee Swift. After forward Taylor Dobles was fouled in the box by a Cardinal defender, the referee pointed to the spot and called for a penalty kick. Swift ran across the field and grabbed the ball before stepping up to the penalty spot with confidence. The LSU goalkeeper sent a powerful shot to the left corner to beat Ellis, who guessed the right way, to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
This could be Swift’s last home game as a goalkeeper, so it was bittersweet for her to score a goal in her final outing at LSU Soccer Stadium.
“Sian had the confidence in me to go up and make that for the team to make it a 2-0 game,” Swift said. “This field means a lot and has a lot of great memories.”
The goal is Swift’s first of the season and her second of her career after scoring a penalty kick at Kentucky last season. The goal was the final major event of the first half and the Tigers went into the halftime break up by two.
The third goal of the game was scored by LSU senior midfielder Brenna McPartlan. McPartlan scored on a header from a corner kick from defender Tilly Wilkes to seal the game for the Tigers. Wilkes’ assist was the first of her career as a Tiger.
Lamar scored their only goal of the game from a breakaway goal from Christine Kitaru. Kitaru skid past a LSU defender and took advantage of the 1-on-1 situation with Swift and slotted hit from 15 yards out for the Cardinals’ first goal.
In the final seconds of the match, Lamar was awarded a penalty after Shannon Cooke fouled a Lamar attacker in the box. Kitaru stepped up for Lamar to take the penalty, but her shot to the right side of the was miraculously saved by Swift.  The save was Swift’s third and final of the night. Swift’s save from the penalty moves her one save away from being tied 3^rd all-time in goals saved.
LSU had an impressive offensive showing as the Tigers outshot Lamar by a wide margin of 22-6, with LSU having 13 shots on goal compared to the Cardinals’ four. In the possession battle, LSU absolutely dominated by a margin of 61% to Lamar’s 39%.
LSU will travel to Tallahassee, Florida to take on Florida State next weekend for the second round of the NCAA Tournament.