AUBURN, Ala. – The LSU soccer team was dealt a serious blow to its chances to qualify for the SEC Tournament Sunday, falling 3-0at Auburn.
Auburn (6-9 overall, 1-6 in SEC play) took control of the match early and never let the Tigers (4-11-1, 2-5) into the game.
Tammy Waine got Auburn started in the 20th minute with the first of two goals on the afternoon, taking the feed from Candace Cagle and Carol Mont and beating LSU goalkeeper Bonnie Otillio on a header from five yards out.
“I’m disappointed in the way we played today,” said LSU head coach Greg Boggs. “We had a very good opportunity to get back into the SEC race today and I think we could have played much better.”
Auburn controlled the match in the first half and held a 10-3 advantage in shots, yet only held a 1-0 advantage on the scoreboard thanks to five first half saves by Otillio. The freshman from Mandeville finished with 12 saves on the afternoon despite allowing three goals. Auburn outshot LSU 22-5 on the afternoon.
Waine made it a 2-0 game in the 57th minute, once again heading in a cross from Cagle.
Kelli Merritt closed out the scoring in the 68th minute, once again on a header, taking a cross from Megan Stam and depositing the ball into the back of the net for the final margin of victory.
The win was the first in conference play for Auburn, who had dropped all six previous matches in league play on the season. The loss kept the Tigers in fourth place in the SEC West and seriously hurt their chances of making the eight-team SEC Tournament field. Only two teams from each division receive automatic bids.
LSU returns to action on Friday night against Vanderiblt at the LSU Soccer Complex at 7 p.m. The Tigers must beat Vanderbilt on Friday evening and Kentucky on Sunday to have an opportunity to qualify for the conference tournament.