The LSU soccer team lost its fourth straight game, falling 2-1to No. 19 Auburn at the LSU Soccer Complex on Sunday.
The Tigers (6-9-1, 1-6-1 Southeastern Conference) also lost toAlabama, 2-1 Friday night and have now lost five one-goal games onthe year. LSU still is in last place in the SEC WesternDivision.
LSU co-coach Danielle Fotopoulos said losing another close gameis taxing, but the players continue to compete hard.
“It gets a bit frustrating, but they keep working hard andcontinue to compete,” she said. “Sometimes wedon’t get those easy breaks, but I believe we’ve got tomake our own luck.”
Auburn (12-2-1, 7-0-1 SEC), which clinched the SEC West titlewith the win, got two goals in the first half. Senior SarahSteinman scored first with her fifth goal of the season at the29:51 mark. Junior midfielder Christie Cigno added the second withnine minutes left in the half off an assist from junior JacSchwarz.
LSU bounced back in the second half, with senior forward ArtieBrown driving in to score her ninth goal of the year with 24:30 togo in the game. Brown moved within one goal of tying the all-timeLSU mark held by Jackie Cooper.
“She created some really good goal-scoring opportunitiesin the box for us,” Fotopoulos said. “I wish she wouldhave done that the whole game. I feel she just had a much bettersecond half.”
Brown said LSU simply did not make enough opportunities in thegame to score. She said losing so many games has becomefrustrating.
“Sometimes it’s just the one mistake you make thatcan cost you the game,” Brown said. “It’s notlike we’re getting blown out every game. We know we cancompete. It’s easy to get discouraged, especially when all ofour games have gone this way. One of these games it will fall rightfor us.”
Fotopoulos said the team played better in the second half aswell, mainly because it was more aggressive and attackedAuburn’s defense.
“I think shifting some players up top a little morehelped, and we were able to play a lot more offensively,”Fotopoulos said. “We were able to put a lot more pressure ontheir back.”
The Tigers had several chances to tie the game late in thesecond half, but could not get any shots to go in.
“We just have to find that extra push, that extra drive toget us over the top,” Brown said. “We need to scoreearly so we don’t feel pressure to come back.”
LSU will take on No. 8 Florida at 7 p.m. Friday at the LSUSoccer Complex.