The LSU soccer team will take on the University of South Alabama in the first round of the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Tournament at 7 p.m. on Saturday in Mobile, Alabama.
The Tigers (13-5-4, 5-4-2 Southeastern Conference) are coming off two victories in the SEC Tournament, which landed them an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. The Jaguars (17-2-2, 9-0-0 Sun Belt Conference) earned the Sun Belt Conference’s automatic bid after cruising through the conference tournament for the third year in a row.
No. 7-seeded LSU defeated the No. 10-seeded University of Kentucky in the first round and No. 2-seeded University of Missouri in the second round, advancing to the SEC Semifinals for the sixth time in team history.
LSU battled back to overcome a 1-0 deficit against Kentucky, scoring two goals in the second half to craft a comeback win the opening match of the conference tournament.
Senior midfielder Natalia Gomez-Junco said the Tigers’ performance in the SEC Tournament gave the players much-needed a morale boost before the start of the national tournament.
“It helped a lot with confidence,” Gomez-Junco said. “We’ve just proven that we can beat anyone. We have a strong team that’s overcome adversity. We’re a team that will never give up and I love that about this team.”
Senior defender Alex Arlitt and Gomez-Junco were both selected to the SEC All-Tournament Team for their efforts during the Tigers’ three-game stint.
LSU coach Brian Lee said South Alabama is one of the more challenging opponents his team faces because of the strength of its nonconference schedule.
“Our first game against South Alabama is a monumental challenge, “ Lee said in a news release. “They’re a talented team, 16th in the RPI. The coach there, Graham [Winkworth], has done an unbelievable job there building their program.”
The Jaguars performed admirably against SEC teams during the regular season, recording a 1-1 record.
The Jaguars earned a win against Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi, in their first game of the season on Aug. 21. On Sept. 13, South Alabama was on pace to defeat then-No. 9 Auburn University with a 1-0 lead, but the Jaguars conceded two goals in the final 22 minutes of the game.
The Jaguars are led by an explosive trio made up of sophomore forward Charde Hannah, sophomore forward Ashlynn Jones and sophomore midfielder Danielle Henley, who have scored 27 of the team’s 57 goals this season.
Saturday’s match will be the 10th meeting all-time between LSU and South Alabama on the soccer pitch as the Tigers hold a narrow 5-4 edge dating back to the program’s inaugural season in 1995.
The two sides last met five years ago at the LSU Soccer Stadium, but the Tigers said being on the road this time around won’t affect their mindset.
“We’ve worked so hard as a team to get back here, and now we need to focus on our preparation to take this season as far as it can go from here,” Arlitt said in a news release.