In a hard-fought battle, the LSU soccer team (5-0-2) defeated Princeton (3-2-0) by a score of 2-0 on Thursday night at the Sherrerd Field at Class of 1952 Stadium.
“We’re really thrilled,” head coach Sian Hudson said. “To come on the road and play well against a team like Princeton is an unbelievable performance. We had great moments and fantastic goals tonight. Every time we give this team a challenge, they step up and perform.”
LSU started off strong as freshman forward Angelina Thoreson scored a wonderful goal from 15 yards out into the bottom-left corner to make it 1-0 in the 14th minute. It was Thoreson’s first goal in her collegiate career.
“We’re so thrilled for Angelina,” Hudson said. “She’s done a great job laying goals on a plate for her teammates this season, so it was fantastic to see her get that goal tonight with a confident finish.”
LSU took a 2-0 lead in the 66th minute off a brilliant header from Wasila Diwura-Soale. Senior Midfielder Brenna McPartlan lined up a free kick on the right side and sent a cross into the box. Diwura-Soale found herself unmarked and converted the golden opportunity to score her first goal of the season. The goal was also only the second of her LSU career. For McPartlan, it was her second assist of the year.
“Wasila doesn’t grab many goals, but when she gets them, they’re big ones.” Hudson said. “I think that goal stopped their momentum and gave us additional confidence to go out and finish the game.”
Princeton outshot LSU 14-7 and also had more shots on goal, 5-3. Princeton also held more possession with a possession rate of 59% compared to 41%. However, LSU’s effectiveness in the midfield and their excellent organization in defense led to Princeton’s opportunities being squandered to help secure the clean sheet.
The Tigers will finish the New Jersey road trip with a match against No. 9 Rutgers at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11.