LSU Soccer had sights on securing its first SEC win of the season, defeating the Ole Miss Rebels by a close score of 1-0 on Sunday night.
Keeping spirits high after a tough loss to ranked No. 3 Arkansas on Thursday, fueled with pure aggression and focus on shot creation, LSU managed to come out the gate dominating on both ends of the field.
Finishing with a total of 22 shots, as 10 of them were on goal, the Tigers could easily flex their effort on the offensive side of the ball in comparison to the Rebels’ measly seven shots attempted.
Powered by a goal from forward Andrea Iljkic that was courtesy of a free kick at the 43:49 mark of the first half, which was her third free kick goal on the season, this lone score would end up being the deciding factor needed to break the Tigers’ current two-game losing streak.
“Obviously, we came up short against Arkansas on Thursday night, but they’re one of the top teams in the country,” said LSU Head Coach Sian Hudson. “To turn around and get a big win on Sunday against Ole Miss, that’s the most important thing [tonight].”
The LSU Tigers shut out its opponent for the third time this season.
Influenced by the tenacity of defenders Sydney Cheesman, Caley Swierenga, and Jocelyn Ollivierre, the Rebels were only able to get off two shots on goal during the entire game. Tiger goalkeeper Audi Scheving took care of business with both of these attempts.
While Hudson was impressed with her team’s aggressive nature and execution with offensive possession, she was really hoping for a second insurance goal to put the Ole Miss Rebels away for good.
Throughout the second half, after the Tigers gained a 1-0 lead, both teams went back and forth with one another. Each struggling to find the right opportunity to benefit from the other’s mistake.
However, once the clock struck zero and the LSU faithful rose to their feet with applause, the Tigers prevailed and walked away with an impressive conference win.
Looking ahead, the Tigers will continue their conference play as they host the Oklahoma Sooners on Thursday, September 26, at 6:00 p.m. CST.
“We’re obviously excited to get back out in front of our home fans on Thursday night,” Hudson said. “Matt Mott is an experienced coach in the SEC… so he’s going to come in here with a very organized team and a gameplan that is going to test us.”
The LSU Soccer team has a record of 6-3-1 and is 1-1-0 in SEC play.
