The LSU soccer season is in full swing as SEC play approaches on Sept. 19. With six games already under their belt, three transfer players have emerged as pivotal to the team’s early success.
Transfers Sydney Cheesman, Jazmin Ferguson and Audi Scheving have made waves on the pitch, finding places in the 2024 SEC Soccer Preseason Watchlist and top-10 rankings.
At the heart of the defense, these player’s accomplishments were a key factor in the team’s initial four wins of the fall.
The newcomers continue to excite and should be watched as the season progresses. Here’s a dive into these three defenders before the team hits the road for California this week.
Sydney Cheesman
Currently, Cheesman is tied at sixth in the SEC top 10 for assists with four. All assists were earned within the first four games.
She has played the full 90 minutes of almost every game and has the most total playing time besides Audi Scheving, LSU’s goalkeeper.
The University of North Carolina transfer alternates between center and full back on the LSU lineup. A versatile player on the defensive line, she had a big role in UNC’s quarterfinal appearance in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Additionally, she had many stints with the youth and women’s national teams before arriving at LSU in the spring of 2024.
Approaching her junior year, Cheesman was an exciting prospect, being named a member of the SEC Preseason Watchlist.
In the Tigers’ match against Old Dominion University, Cheesman’s free kick set up forward Ava Galligan for her game-winning goal. Cheesman’s ability to create goal-scoring opportunities has made a significant impact on the season.
Jazmin Ferguson
In August, the United Soccer Coaches named Ferguson a defender to watch in 2024, and she is living up to the assumption.
In the season opener against the University of South Alabama, she took to the scoreboard with a commanding first goal after heading an assist from Cheesman into the back of the net.
Ferguson is the starting center back and a junior in her second semester at LSU. She transferred after an impressive run at East Carolina University where she obtained 2023 AAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and First-Team All-Conference honors.
Her strong start to the season continued into the second game when she took the Tigers into the lead against Arizona State University with a perfectly timed finish inside of the 6-yard box.
Additionally, Ferguson’s defensive performances are essential in preventing goal concession this season, and she proves to be a force on either side of the pitch.
Audi Scheving
Guarding the net, Scheving has played every minute so far this season. The 5’10 sophomore has 11 saves and two shutouts, including six saves and a shutout in her first game as a Tiger.
Scheving was a late addition to the fall roster, arriving at LSU as an international transfer with past success overseas in Iceland with Stjarnan FC. She also made seven appearances at the national level for her country.
Scheving has brought skill and stability to LSU’s defense, and her statistics mirror that. Just six games into her SEC debut, she has already made her way onto the top-10 rankings, sitting in second for saves with a 57.9% save percentage.
Although the season is far from over, Scheving has been a standout in the first stretch and is likely to continue adding to her stats as the season goes on.
Well into their debuts as Tigers, these transfers have become dominant players for the purple and gold. With important matches ahead, their individual and combined efforts will remain crucial to the success of the team.
