It should come as no surprise that LSU vaulted to the top of the Southeastern Conference Western Division standings following its first home weekend of conference play.With more than 1,000 people in attendance both Friday and Sunday at the LSU Soccer Complex, LSU defeated Auburn and Alabama by a combined score of 9-1. The impressive performances improved the Tigers’ home unbeaten streak to 16 games, a stat the team attributes to its growing home-field advantage.”Fans do make a difference,” said LSU coach Brian Lee. “Friday against Auburn they were cheering so hard for us, it gave our kids a boost late in the game when they were getting tired.”The team has seen a rapid rise in attendance since Lee arrived in 2005. Average attendance started at 586 fans per game in 2005 and increased to an average of 1,294 per game in 2007, which ranks No. 10 nationally.”We could tell the program was building, and we were seeing more crowds,” said LSU senior midfielder Casey Crawford. “It’s exciting to play under the lights in front of so many people. The Tennessee game [in 2007] was crazy, and it’s a lot of fun.”The strong support has helped the Tigers compile a staggering resume when playing at home. LSU plays four of its remaining five games at home.LSU is 17-17-6 when playing on the road in the regular season during Lee’s three-plus seasons. The Tigers’ home record is 21-5-5 during that span.”We feel like LSU is one of the toughest environments around,” Lee said before Friday’s game against Auburn. “Playing in front of our fans at home is a goal-a-game                      difference.”    Junior midfielder Malorie Rutledge took advantage of the home-field advantage last weekend. She logged the game-winning goal in overtime against Auburn and notched three goals Sunday in a 7-0 rout of Alabama during the Tigers’ first two home games since Sept. 14″[The fans] intimidate the other team, and it gets in their head,” Rutledge said. “Whenever you juke someone or you’re going one-on-one with someone the crowd kind of gets your blood flowing and makes you want to play.”LSU is known for rambunctious football tailgating, and the trend seems to have spread across Nicholson Drive to LSU soccer games.”It can be disconcerting for visiting teams when they pull up and there are six tailgates going on,” Lee said. “That’s just not college soccer. So when they see that, they know they’re in for a different experience.”Lee said the arrangement of the stadium — as in football — plays a big factor in his team’s home success.”When we go on the road, fans at other SEC stadiums are so far back from the field,” he said. “Teams often have a track around the field. Our stands are so much closer than that, it really gives our fans a chance to make a difference.”—-Contact David Helman at [email protected]