LSU Soccer tied the Pepperdine Waves 2-2 at home on Thursday night after a 2.5-hour lighting delay at halftime.
Before tonight’s game, LSU and Pepperdine held a 0-0-2 record against each other, and both teams were looking to get the job done.
PHOTOS: LSU soccer ties Pepperdine 2-2 after weather delay
However, Thursday’s game ended the same way as last season’s 2-2 draw against the Waves. This draw was Pepperdine’s fifth of the season.
It was a different environment for the west coast Waves as severe wind, heat and storm clouds surrounded the pitch throughout play, but they were able to attack on both sides of the ball and hold LSU to one goal in the first half.
“Just a really flat first 20-25 minutes,” LSU head coach Sian Hudson said. “We did not start the game well, credit to Pepperdine. I think they bossed the midfield and certainly in possession earlier in the game.”
In the 19th minute of play, goalkeeper Mollee Swift came out of the goal to intercept a pass, but Pepperdine forward Tori Waldeck beat her to it and scored on an open goal.
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Just 10 minutes later, Waldeck drove toward the goal and passed to Pepperdine midfielder Skylar Enge who buried the ball in the back of the net.
The Tigers responded with a goal from forward Ida Hermannsdottir to make the score 2-1 at half. Hermannsdottir recorded her fourth goal of the season and leads the team in goals. Forward Mollie Baker and forward/midfielder Ava Galligan were both on the assist.
After the lightning delay at half, play resumed over two hours later. Both teams came out fired up with energy to continue, hoping to clutch the win.
It was all fast and aggressive play in the second half as each team kept driving toward the goal. Yellow cards were given to two LSU players and one to Pepperdine. Overall, LSU had 10 fouls and Pepperdine had six.
The LSU defense was able to keep the Waves goal-less in the second half. Swift recorded three saves in total, including a double save early in the game.
With about seven minutes to go in play, Galligan scored her first goal of the season to tie the game on an assist from midfielder Tori Gillis.
“I think in the second half, after a really long break, the girls applied the information we gave them and came out and did a great job,” Hudson said. “Realistically, I think we’re disappointed at the end there to not have won the game.”
Offensively, The Tigers had 17 shots, with seven on target. Even with a momentum change in the second half, LSU’s early performance was the issue.
“I think the message to the girls is you can’t start slow,” Hudson said. “We can’t give the other team a goal or two head start before we actually start to play. I think that’s been a bit of a theme for us this season, and we need to learn, and we need to grow from it, certainly going into SEC play.”
LSU will face Northwestern State at home Sunday at 4 p.m. before traveling to Oxford, Mississippi on Friday, Sept. 15, to face Ole Miss to start SEC play.
