Through the course of a non-conference road schedule that left them with four losses in five games, members of the LSU soccer team insisted the tough slate would prepare them for Southeastern Conference play, and now they’ll get a chance to prove it.
LSU, winners of the past three SEC West (3-4-1) titles, will open up SEC play on the road against No. 19 Georgia (5-2-1) on Friday and Tennessee (3-5) on Sunday. The Bulldogs will be the sixth consecutive ranked opponent the Tigers have faced on the road this season.
“The Georgia/Tennessee road trip is probably the toughest one we’ll have,” said LSU coach Brian Lee. “Given the nature of our schedule, this is as tough as it gets in the SEC.”
The Tigers figure to have a much bigger challenge on their hands than last season, when LSU opened conference play with a 6-0 romp against Georgia before blowing out Tennessee, 5-1. Such an offensive display seems especially unlikely for a team that has scored multiple goals in only two of eight matches, both at home.
“I’m sure Tennessee and Georgia haven’t forgotten [last season’s defeats], so it’s not going to help us this year,” Lee said.
While the Tigers boast arguably the nation’s toughest non-conference schedule, the Bulldogs haven’t exactly feasted on cupcakes. Georgia held its own against No. 2 Stanford on the road, ultimately falling in overtime, and earned a tie against No. 9 Santa Clara.
LSU’s streak of road games against top-25 opponents will mercifully end Sunday against unranked Tennessee. But that doesn’t mean the Tigers will look past the Lady Vols, a team they’ve never beaten on the road.
Sunday matches have proved somewhat troublesome for LSU this season. The Tigers struggled to a loss against Virginia Tech and underwhelmed in wins versus McNeese State and Louisiana-Lafayette.
“SEC Sunday road games, regardless of opponent, are probably as tough as it gets,” Lee said.
The offense is still struggling to find the back of the net but has been bailed out recently by an improving defense, highlighted by battling goalkeepers. After saying in the preseason that he would likely use a redshirt on freshman goalkeeper Megan Kinneman, Lee started her against both Louisiana-Lafayette and Illinois.
“[Both goalkeepers are] doing quite well,” he said. “It’s really been a benefit to have them pushing each other.”
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Contact Ryan Ginn at [email protected]