LSU avoided its third consecutive Southeastern Conference loss after drawing Vanderbilt University, 0-0 on Friday night.
The Commodores (5-5-3, 1-2-2, SEC) entered tonight’s match looking to earn their second road victory of the season, and the Tigers (7-3-3, 1-3-1 SEC) desperately needed a win to remain afloat in the rugged SEC.
The game got off to a slow start with Vanderbilt controlling possession for most of the first half. The Tigers made a concerted effort to keep the Commodores from earning set pieces after conceding 14 of them in their previous game against the University of Mississippi.
Although Vanderbilt controlled the ball for the majority of the first half, the LSU defense held strong, holding the Commodores to three first half shots with none of them landing a mark on goal. But the Tiger offense struggled to maintain a steady rhythm due to their lack of possession.
The LSU defense kept Vanderbilt’s biggest offensive threat, junior forward Simone Charley off-balance all game. Charley, who is also a three-time NCAA All-American in the triple jump, has scored three goals and dished out three assists this season.
LSU coach Brian Lee said containing Charley was one of the team’s main priorities.
“She’s the lead of the scouting report when you play Vanderbilt,” Lee said. “She’s a big time athlete — we made sure we never let her receive the ball without good coverage behind her.”
Senior defender Alex Arlitt was tasked with keeping up with Charley all game. Arlitt said defending Charley was tough but the LSU backline did a good job of helping her.
“She’s definitely quick, I had my work cut out for me,” Arlitt said. “Jordane [Carvery] and I rotated and went with the flow of play but I did the best I could to keep Charley’s back to the goal and limit her chances.”
The Tiger offense showed signs of life in the second half by firing six shots off, doubling the shot total from the first half. LSU failed to convert, but the defense did its job by keeping pressure on the Commodores. Vanderbilt finished regulation without a single shot on goal.
The game went to overtime for the third straight year, but the Tigers were not able to salvage a golden goal like they did in 2014 and 2013. With tonight’s draw, the Tigers are now 0-2-3 in overtime matches this season.
Sophomore forward Jorian Baucom earned her fifth yellow card of the season, making her ineligible for the team’s next conference game against the University of Missouri next Friday.