NORMAN, Okla. – The LSU soccer team snapped its five-game losing streak Sunday afternoon with a 2-2 tie against Oklahoma Sunday afternoon in Norman as freshman goalkeeper Bonnie Otillio set a school record with 17 saves.
“We played much better today,” said LSU head coach Greg Boggs. “We played with some fire and made some things happen out there and got some superb goalkeeping.”
LSU (4-8-1) played a good portion of the game a man down after Kara Dean received her second yellow card of the match in the second half for an automatic ejection. By virtue of the ejection, Dean will now be forced to sit out the Tigers’ crucial showdown with Arkansas in Fayetteville next Sunday.
Oklahoma (2-8-1) jumped on the scoreboard in the 18th minute when Heather Martinelli scored her second goal of the season on passes from Mary Morse and Shannon Wing. Martinelli beat Bryna Warnock, who played the first half in goal for LSU, with a close range shot.
Just two minutes later the Tigers got the evener when senior Katie Thomas scored her second goal of the season, finishing off a set play from Dean.
LSU grabbed a 2-1 lead in the 30th minute. Mandy Heintz blew past an Oklahoma defender who was forced to pull Heintz down in the penalty box, giving the Tigers a penalty kick. Ashley Mitnick converted the penalty kick for her team-high fifth goal of the season. Oklahoma evened the match just before the end of the first half when Christen Secrest fired a 20-yard shot past Warnock.
Otillio replaced Warnock to start the second half and kept the Tigers in the match after they were forced to play shorthanded. Otillio stopped 11 shots in the second half, then three in each of the overtime periods. Her 17-save performance tops the previous record of 16 by Shelli Montevirgen in 1996.
Once shorthanded, the Tigers were never able to mount a serious offensive threat in either of the overtime periods.
The tie is the first for LSU since a 1-1 tie against Colorado on September 20, 1998.
LSU returns to league play next Sunday when the Tigers travel to Arkansas for a match with major SEC Tournament implications.