LSU scored its most goals in a game this season, in a 5-1 victory against Marquette University on Sunday.
Last year, LSU (7-1-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) fell to Marquette (3-3-3, 0-0 Big East), 2-1, but the Tigers made sure to right their wrong this time around.
Marquette struck first in the 13th minute of play when junior forward Ashley Handwork scored her first goal of the season after making a run through the left side of LSU’s defense that culminated with a left-footed finish just inside the right post.
Handwork’s early goal marked the first time this season a team scored against the Tigers at home on a Sunday. LSU coach Brian Lee said he was happy with how his team responded to the Golden Eagles’ early goal by scoring five of their own to finish the game.
“We stayed calm and focused,” Lee said. “We followed the game plan really well, so at halftime, we were confident that we would be able to salt it [the early goal] away.”
Junior forward Summer Clarke gave LSU an offensive spark early, creating multiple chances on the offensive end. In the 16th minute, she crossed a ball deep into the box, allowing senior defender Alex Arlitt to head the equalizer from five yards out.
Clarke put the Tigers on the board again with an unassisted goal after slicing her way through three Marquette defenders on a run that started near midfield. The Canada-native used her speed to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead before halftime.
The Golden Eagles came out of the half looking to find their own equalizer, but the LSU back line held up. The Tigers scored their third goal of the game after Jorian Baucom tactically played a ball through the middle of Marquette’s defense to Clarke. The Golden Eagles’ senior goalkeeper Amanda Engel came out of the box to make an aggressive challenge on Clarke that resulted in her being sent off with a red card.
Baucom took the ensuing penalty kick and netted her ninth goal of the season to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead in the 67th minute. Baucom scored again six minutes later on a through ball from senior midfielder Fernanda Piña for her 10th goal of the season.
Clarke found the net for the second time 40 seconds later after firing a long range shot that beat Marquette’s replacement goalkeeper Sloane Carlson.
LSU made a strategic change to its lineup that led to its 5-1 victory. Arlitt, who usually plays on the back line was moved to midfield to give the Tigers more chances offensively. She said she hadn’t played midfield since high school, so she was apprehensive of the change in position but adjusted well as the game went on.
“As the game got rolling, I got rolling. I got a little more comfortable and started to remember the nature of the position and how to play it,” Arlitt said. “When I’m at midfield, my head constantly has to be on a swivel. I can still communicate, but I can’t do it as much because I don’t see the field as much.”
LSU finished its nonconference schedule undefeated after yesterday’s win. Clarke said the victory also was an important one in accomplishing one of the goals the team set before the season started.
“It was one of our goals to go undefeated in nonconference, so we are just checking things off of our list,” Clarke said. “It was a good team win.”